Designed to create an out-of the-classroom learning experience, Unilever’s Ideatrophy competition is a youth development initiative which focuses on the development of personal leadership and entrepreneurial competencies amongst undergraduates.
Established as an innovative business competition for students, Unilever Nigeria Ideatrophy is a furtherance of the FMCG company’s commitment to develop human capacity and talent potential for the future.
Nine years after the first edition, the company has not only deepened entrepreneurial competencies among students, but it has also helped talented young Nigerians to realise their potential. Unilever Nigeria is part of the multi-national Unilever group, which produces products like Close Up, Lux, Knorr, Sunlight among others.
During the finale of the 2021 edition, after a keenly contested competition, Team Itesiwaju, with Isaac Popoola; Bright Nwaneri and Mofiyinfoluwa Aladesuyi, all 400L students from the University of Lagos emerged the overall winner of the edition.
Themed “More Than You Expect” got entries from different universities across Nigeria. Participants were provided opportunities to develop ideas on real-life business scenarios, which are then reviewed by a panel of judges.
Participants were required to highlight the sales channels adopted for the challenge; provide details on affordability and values that low-earning consumers desire in the current market; the activities and time period to be covered; the expected reach; the estimated budget; and the main KPI per channel.
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This year’s competition was focused on the Sunlight brand where the finalists were tasked to “Light Up Africa with Your Ideas” by proposing product idea options for Sunlight.
“Our aim is to create a bright future for the Nigerian youths and that’s why we focus on the development of personal leadership and entrepreneurial business competencies amongst university undergraduates,” said Carl Cruz, Managing Director, Unilever West Africa.
According to Cruz, Ideatrophy is a business competition, targeted at University undergraduates across Africa. The competition provides students with a unique opportunity to work on real-life business challenges and get access to Unilever’s worldclass training and mentorship by leaders.
Since inception, Ideatrophy has given Unilever the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of knowledge in the younger generation. “We are committed to creating a brighter future for the younger people and this is one way, Unilever is achieving that,” Carl stated.
The challenge is also an opportunity to discover great talents with the objective of grooming them to become successful business leaders and seasoned professionals.
For the FMCG company, education is both a process and lifelong experience, hence it equips the youth through the Ideatrophy challenge with necessary knowledge, expertise and experience to become better business leaders.
The company’s plan is to make the competition better every year, with lots of entries received for this edition leading to the shortlisted teams that met its set criteria. And, just like previous editions, this year’s edition was exciting and informative.
While the challenge lasted, participants from various teams appeared as business strategists, who have come to proffer product ideas for Sunlight brand.
Aside exposing members of various teams to sourceto-end product challenges, the platform also offered participants networking opportunity with business leaders in the corporate world.
This year’s competition themed, “More Than You Expect” focused on the development of personal, leadership and entrepreneurial business competencies,” said Ola Ehinmoro, the Human Resources Director, Unilever West Africa. Accordingly, Ehinmoro said participants gain ‘ confidence’ and business skills needed to succeed in the real world through the competition.
“As Africa’s top employer, our search for young talent is never-ending. It’s how we discover big business ideas that help us grow sustainably and grow we do. We believe that Brands with Purpose grow. So this year, we want you to do the things that will empower others! In doing so, developing yourself with various skills needed to challenge the status quo,” said Ola Ehinmoro.
For Unilever, Ideatrophy challenge is a youth development initiative which has come to stay. Participants and attendees can look forward to a great competition that will be keenly contested as only the best of the best will emerge final winners.
At this year’s virtual edition, the top six teams that met the pre-set criteria on Sunlight brand’s application challenge, were shortlisted into the Unilever Nigeria Ideatrophy’s virtual ‘ U-camp’ bootcamp for coaching and mentoring.
The participants also had a question and answer (Q&A) session on Marketing and Innovations with the HomeCare marketing director, which gave them the opportunity to inquire about what they wish to know about the brand, its business trajectory and future plans.
Though it has been described as a corporate social responsibility initiative by some analysts, Ideatrophy is a unique intervention programme that government and other corporate entity should encourage to develop talents and prepare Nigerian youth for the future.
One of its benefits is free coaching sessions from topnotch achievers within the business cycle, which the competition offers to participants annually.
Unilever has made its intents known over the years through the creative competition that it is out to look for passionate and creative individuals with the ability to build on innovative strategies that will be a great fit with the project brief while being applicable to real business situations.
While participants get exposed to Unilever sustainability initiatives, they also stand to gain experience working on a real business challenges; mentorship from experienced business leaders; access to resource toolkit and problem-solving frameworks with some exciting prizes and internship opportunities.
According to the latest report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria’s unemployment rate increases to 33.3% in Q4 2020 from 27.1% in Q2 2020. The number of persons in the economically active or working age population (15 – 64 years of age) during the reference period of the survey, Q4, 2020 was 122,049,400.
However, as part of Unilever’s contribution to employment creation, Ideatrophy winners are recruited as interns after leaving school. This year’s winners of the Ideatrophy will represent Nigeria at the African level and if they win, they will proceed to the global competition
In the last nine years, Ideatrophy has given Unilever the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of knowledge in the younger generation. By this, the FMCG company has shown commitment to creating a brighter future for the younger generation.
