Who Will Represent Africa At The Ralph de la Vega Global Entrepreneurship Competition?

… Winner Set To Emerge

Will there be surprises at The JA Africa Company of the Year (COY) Competition, Africa’s largest high school entrepreneurship competition this year? No one knows as all is now set for a winner to emerge, as 9 student start ups representing Eswatini, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe are putting their business acumen to test; the achievement of their businesses in numerous formats in order to win the prestigious title of ‘JA Company of the Year’ and other amazing prizes from the sponsors.

The competition returns for the 12th year in a row and first in-person meeting post COVID, after two successful virtual competitions, as Lagos, Nigeria, is taking centre stage, with the theme, “fuelling changemakers,” says Simi Nwogugu, the CEO of JA Africa.

The competition itself, is a program which equips senior secondary school level students with the entrepreneurial skillset and mindset to solve problems in their communities by launching a business venture and unleashing their entrepreneurial spirit.

“The young entrepreneurs who compete at the JA Africa’s COY go through qualifying competitions at national and sub national levels, competing against thousands of youth start ups to qualify for the regional competition. A program transition that changes them from employment into employers. Having emerged as national winners, they represent their countries at the continental stage where they have the arduous task to impress a panel of international business professionals who serve as judges.

“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.

“Our students have demonstrated great resilience and innovation in grappling with these challenges and I am extremely proud of all of them.”

Some of the students: Nigeria’s Folami Imisioluwa who is already a CEO of her own company, Mabel Emma from Uganda and Gift Shadrack Sakala from Zambia, who were among those at the Press Conference in Lagos to kick start this year’s competition activities, commended the good works of JA Africa, JA Worldwide and their sponsors.

Speaking during the Press Conference, Simi Nwogugu had this to say, “I am 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 highest among all the prizes at stake, is an opportunity to represent the Africa region at the Ralph de la Vega Global Entrepreneurship Competition which will bring together COY winners from the 6 regions where JA Worldwide operates to compete for awards, $15,000, educational opportunities, and more.’

The organisations that supported 2022 JA Africa COY Competition, are: Headline sponsors: FedEx, Citi Foundation and PMIEF; Platinum sponsors, Bloomberg, Johnson & Johnson, Delta Airlines and First Bank Nigeria; Gold sponsors: Tomorrow Foundation, Bascom, GB Foods and Rise.