Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), through one of its flagship initiatives, SET4LYF, hosted the 2025 National Company of the Year (NCOY) Competition, a national showcase of innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship among secondary school students nationwide.

The competition brought together six outstanding student companies that emerged winners from the regional contests. After a rigorous day of presentations and evaluations before an esteemed panel of judges, the student company Sproutgenix Aeromonitor Ltd, of Darul Noor By Intercontinental Schools, emerged as the overall winner of the 2025 National Company of the Year Award. The innovative team, whose school also won the award last year, developed a drone technology for precision agriculture, designed to reduce cost, save time and labour, and support climate action for sustainable transformation.

Other finalists included: Sunny Bright Technology, Community Secondary School, Asokoro – developing preventive solutions for flood epidemic; ViHi Technologies, Special Education Center, Uyo – creators of assistive technology devices made from recyclable materials to empower the movement of the visually impaired; Cynosure Greenhouse Solutions, Alaba Lawson Royal College. – advancing green energy access and sustainability; New Era Company, Cypress Academy, Kano – harnessing technology to build safer, more resilient communities and Climaclear, International School, University of Lagos– providing air-quality solutions aligned with SDGs 3, 11, and 13.

Speaking at the event, Country Director, SET4LYF, Olaolu Akogun, emphasised the importance of empowering girls through entrepreneurship and innovation.

“For over 26 years, Junior Achievement Nigeria has been equipping young people with entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills. Through SET4LYF, we are helping marginalized girls transition from school to work, supporting them into tertiary education, employment, or business ownership.

He noted that the winners of the national competition will represent Nigeria at the African Company of the Year Competition in Abuja this December, where they will compete with peers from across the continent.

Also speaking, Brand and Marketing Manager at JAN, Ms. Tobiloba Olaosun, highlighted the organisation’s expansion plans for 2026 and called for more partnerships.

The event also featured a National Stakeholder Convening with representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, National Educational Research and Development Council, NYSC, and several state ministries. Discussions centered on “Teaching Entrepreneurship through Teachers”, with stakeholders aligning on a communique to establish a Technical Working Group that will drive entrepreneurship education policy integration nationwide.