The Company of the Year competition, an African high school entrepreneurship competition, is being organized by First Bank in collaboration with JA Africa.
According to a statement from the bank, the event’s theme in Lagos was “Fueling Changemakers.”
It stated that JA Africa’s annual celebration of winning teams from the JA Company Program took place during the JA Africa Company of the Year competition, which was held for the 12th year in a row and the first in-person gathering following COVID-19 after two successful virtual competitions.
According to a statement, the program gave senior secondary school students the mindset and skill set needed to solve problems in their communities by starting a business and igniting their entrepreneurial spirit.
The statement said, “The young entrepreneurs who compete at JA Africa’s COY go through qualifying competitions at national and sub-national levels, competing against thousands of youth startups to qualify for the regional competition.
“This programme transitions them into employment and transforms them into employers. Having emerged as national winners, they will represent their countries on the continental stage where they have the arduous task to impress a panel of international business professionals who serve as judges.”
The statement said that Green Apex from the International School, University of Lagos, who won the 2022 Junior Achievement Nigeria National Company of the Year competition sponsored by FirstBank, would represent Nigeria in the JA Africa Company of the Year competition.
“Given the increasingly complex set of global challenges facing young people around the world, from unemployment to climate change and food shortage, we focus on equipping our students to be solution providers who bring about positive change within their communities while developing businesses that generate wealth,” said Simi Nwogugu, Chief Executive Officer of JA Africa.
“Our students have demonstrated great resilience and innovation in grappling with these challenges and I am extremely proud of all of them. I am also deeply grateful to all our sponsors who stayed with us throughout the pandemic period and contributed greatly towards making this a live event again.”
The Group Head, Marketing & Corporate Communications, FirstBank, Folake Ani-Mumuney, said, “The 2022 Junior Achievement Company of The Year competition remains another viable opportunity to promote the entrepreneurship skills, spirit and talent innate in school children, across Africa.”
