TOTAL STARTUPPER CHALLENGE WINNERS SHOWCASE IMPROVEMENT IN THEIR BUSINESS IDEAS IN LAGOS

A marked improvement in their business ideas was on display when winners of the second edition of the Total Startupper Challenge presented their businesses to investors, stakeholders and entrepreneurs on Thursday, August 15, 2019. The event took place at the Hub One Co-working space in Yaba, Lagos.

The presentations were designed to show what has changed or is going to change about the business concept of the Total Startuppers after their three months incubation programme sponsored by Total and coordinated Passion Incubators.

Olumide Ogunbajo, the winner of the challenge presented on the Agro Data Network that has now changed its name to Freshdew Natural Honey & Derivatives Ltd. He gave details of his expansion plans, rebranding and employment of five more staff.

The first runner up, Justus Obaoye, presented on Carido Auto Services: the expansion plans of the company that connects car owners to mechanics and the successes recorded.

The Top Female Entrepreneur, Omotosho Oghenekevwe made a presentation on her company, I Sabi Work that links service providers/artisans to users through third party recommendations. She also informed the panellists that she was rebranding and her software application had been developed.

Emmanuel Ezenwere who was also part of the incubation programme because of the uniqueness of his ideas presented the Arone Drones for moving medical supplies, including blood to remote areas with bad roads to save life and time. He informed the panellists that the team assembling the drones were located in Nigeria and they were working on the first drone while the process to get license for Avport was ongoing

Earlier in his remarks, Total’s Executive Director, Corporate Affairs & Services, Mr. Abiodun Afolabi who was represented by the Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Education, Mr. Azu Azuike expressed the company’s satisfaction with the programme: “We are happy we’ve come this far with this project. Our intention is to transfer ideas and passions to values and solutions. I thank all our partners that have made it possible to bring these guys before investors today and I hope you find them ready to go.”

He also thanked the panellists for the “inspiring and insightful probing questions that have opened the eyes of the presenters to other areas they can improve.”

He added: “For Total, this is a fulfilling process. The winners have been taken outside the country to get the exposure and challenge the world and I still believe that they can do it. ”

In her remarks, the Manager CSR Total Nigeria Plc., Mrs. Chinwe Ifechigha encouraged the Startupper winners to make the best of the opportunities Total has given them to expose their ideas and projects to the world.

Members of the Panel were FCMB Teamlead, Techspace Ecosystem Business Transaction, Babajide Asegbeloyin; Co-founder TeamApt, Adrian Ayho; Chief Operating Officer Ingressive LLC, Sean Burrowes; COO, Passion Incubator, Ms. Nonye Okolie and Total Nigeria Plc’s Chinwe Ifechigha.

The StartUpper of the Year by Total Challenge is a CSR initiative of Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria and Total Nigeria Plc targeting start-ups of not more than two years and individuals under 35 years.