Alimoso Senior Grammer School has emerged winner of the 2022 Lagos State Student Entrepreneurship Activity Hub (SEA-Hub) competition as the Most Creative Startup plan.
The school competed with 10 other secondary schools in showcasing their entrepreneurship skills.
Alimosho Senior Grammer School also won the Most Innovative Business and SEA-Hub Champion of the Year awards, while Abesan Senior High School Alimosho won the Best Use of Technology award.
The best team in exhibition was won by Jakande Estate Comprehensive Senior College, the first runner up was Abesan Senior High School, Alimosho and the second runner up was Meiran Community Senior High School.
The SEA-Hub is an initiative of the programme Pro-Poor Growth and Promotion of Employment (SEDIN) which was implemented German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
Marcus Wauschkuhn, head of Programme at GIZ said the SEA-Hub intervention has reached close to 30,000 students in Edo, Niger, Ogun, Plateau and Lagos with the support of the Federal Ministry of Education, Youths and Sports and the Business Development Committee Network as well as the private sector.
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“This competition today serves as an opportunity for young people to be part of nation building and begin to reimagine the future they deserve,” he said.
“Specifically, the competition is expected to create sustainability for SEA-Hub intervention, showcase the entrepreneurship ingenuity of SEA-Hub students and to provide recognition to these young people and their schools for their effort and creativity.”
He noted that GIZ hopes that the event and its partnership with relevant stakeholders in the state will build and inclusive and sustainable future for young entrepreneurs.
Speaking also during the competition, Abayomi Abolaji, permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, commended the organisers of the project and charged the students to be prepared for their future.
“Leadership starts now, whatever you want to be in future should be put in place now. Student entrepreneurship has gone past the era of just acquiring knowledge. You can acquire many degrees but if you can not apply it, you haven’t learnt anything,” he said.
“A person is only called ‘wise’ if he is able to apply what he has learnt. We cannot pretend to say there are jobs for graduates in Nigeria. Without a skill, you can hardly find your place in the society.”
Adetola Salawu, senior special adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, commended participants for what they have done since the inception of SEA-Hub.
“The world has gone beyond academics and just learning but now about applying the skills acquired. There is need to apply what you have learnt to solve challenges. The aim of this is that you can utilise the little you have learnt to solve challenges when you leave school.”
The top 3 schools from each of the states would participate at the national competition and exhibition. Each school would be represented by 3 SEA-Hub students who will present for their schools, two Staff Advisers (supervising teachers) and the school principal.
