Victor Boyle-Komolafe, Olabanke Subair, Boluwatife Arewa, Chidiebere Nnorom, and Riches Attai emerged winners of the Orange Corners Innovative Fund worth the sum of 135,000 Euros after the successful conclusion of the Orange Corners Initiative Pitch which held on Monday 9th December 2019 at the FATE Foundation’s office Ijora.
Orange Corners is an initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands that promotes entrepreneurship and stimulates entrepreneurial thinking amongst youth between the age of 18 and 35 in Africa and the Middle East. The initiative is currently active in 10 countries and supports entrepreneurs through the provision of a designated workspace, Capacity building and training, Community-building events, Access to Market and funding with monthly allowance as well as voucher tranche of 5000 euros. It also supports 20 innovative business ideas which cuts across key industries such as Agriculture, Education, Circular Economy, Creative and Health with the Orange Corners Innovative Fund every 6 months.
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The Orange Corners Business Incubation Programme in partnership with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency was first launched in Nigeria on July 10, 2019 with the first stream of the Orange Corners Lagos Programme kick stating on July 16th 2019.
The programme rounded up with a business pitch competition where Incubates pitched their businesses to expert Jury Kars Gerrits; Entrepreneur and Programme Advisor Innovation Fund, Netherlands Enterprise Agency, Oge Nnaife; Head, Startups and Youth Enterprise, and Ibrahim Salau; Sustainability Advisor and Managing Director, Environmental Accord Limited, Nigeria and Executives of FATE Foundation. The business competition resulted in 5 persons winning the Orange Corners Innovation Fund worth 135,000 Euros to be divided amongst them of which 25% will be a loan and 75% will be a grant.
Speaking about the initiative, Executive Director, FATE Foundation, Mrs. Adenike Adeyemi, congratulated the winners for showcasing their entrepreneurial thinking which has aided them to come out tops at the competition. She also expressed delight at the successfully conclusion of the maiden edition the Orange Corners programme, thanking all the partners such as FrieslandCampina WAMCO Plc who privately supported programme to make it a success.
She further stated that applications are currently ongoing for the next stream of the Orange Corners Nigeria Incubation Programme noting that interested participants can now apply.
FATE Foundation is a non-profit private-sector led organisation created in March 2000 to tackle the high rate of unemployment and poverty in Nigeria with the aim of enabling aspiring and emerging Nigerian entrepreneurs start, grow and scale their businesses while also facilitating the development of an enabling business environment and thriving ecosystem.
