TotalEnergies, during the week, has declared its intent to support aspiring Nigerian entrepreneurs with the Startupper of the Year Challenge.
Launched in 2016, the Startupper of the Year Challenge by TotalEnergies is a socio-economic development initiative, which runs in 32 Africa countries where TotalEnergies operates.
It seeks to identify, reward and provide support to the best business creation and business development projects in these countries.
However, it is holding under three years of the existence of TotalEnergies in Nigeria, and is open to Nigerians between the age brackets of 18-35 years.
While illustrating how the challenge would take off, Olubunmi Popoola-Mordi, executive general manager, TotalEnergies Country Services, Nigeria, noted that the Startupper Challenge of Year, which is in its third edition, has three basic evaluation criteria.
Speaking further, she noted that to ascertain an idea for an application for the challenge, the idea must be a response to one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as defined by the United Nations, as this is part of the company’s support in working towards the UN defined SDDs.
“We would be having three categories of winners; the best business creation project, the best startup under three years old, and the best female entrepreneur. Each winner would receive N5million financial support, personalised coaching by experts, and media visibility.”
“Winners would be open to visibility and a networking opportunity. In Nigeria, this year, one of the three categories would be insulated for women only”, she said.
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The initiative, which has been described as an African-focused challenge, would witness winners in the Nigerian category and grand winners from the African category.
The three categories in the Nigerian section include; best business creation project, the best startup less than three years old and best female entrepreneur. There would also be three winners per country and three grand winners for the African continent.
According to Popoola-Mordi, call for projects to participate in the challenge would be open for seven weeks from November 4, 2020 to December 23, 2020, while selected participants would have a personalised page on the Startupper Challenge website where they would have an opportunity to boost their application during the ‘share for like’ to pick the top 15 finalists.
The ‘share for like’, which will run from January 21, 2022, to February 4, 2022, will also give people an opportunity to have a glimpse of the innovative ideas of the contestants.
“Thereafter, there would be a segment where participants would have an opportune moment to present their projects or business ideas in front of a jury of experts; this would last from February 28, 2022, to March 15, 2022. Subsequently, three grand winners would be selected among the national winners to win TotalEnergies support on April 18, 2022”, the executive general manager commented.
