Junior Achievement Nigeria has said that it would empower secondary school students with effective management skills needed to drive business growth.
This, it said, would be made possible through its 2024 Company of the Year programme scheduled for later in the year and organised to empower Senior Secondary School students with entrepreneurial skills needed to kick-start and manage business effectively.
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“The 2024 Company of the Year programme goes beyond traditional classroom teachings as it will provide students with practical insights into a comprehensive understanding of entrepreneurship,” said Olaolu Akogun, acting director of Junior Achievement Nigeria.
Akogun said the programme will offer students across 12 states in Nigeria a transformative experience, providing them with practical skills and the right mindset to excel in the business realm.
According to him, the training will provide students with the opportunity to engage in entrepreneurial activities including market research, business development, capital fundraising through stock sales, production, marketing/sales, financial record-keeping, dividend distribution, and corporate social responsibility.
“This hands-on approach will ensure that students experience the practical challenges and triumphs of real-world business operations,” he said.
Akogun said that with ‘Greenovation,’ as this year’s theme, Junior Achievement Nigeria anticipates the innovative ideas that hundreds of student companies across Nigeria will present to address challenges within their communities, ultimately yielding profits.
“Participants will collaborate to establish a company, elect officers, and navigate the exciting and daunting experience of running a business under the supervision of dedicated volunteers,” he said.
He further said that successful participants who submit annual reports to Junior Achievement Nigeria will become eligible for regional competitions, adding that the best student companies from each region will compete for the National Company of the Year (NCOY) title in Lagos.
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He further said that the winning school from the 2024 National Company of the Year competition will represent Nigeria at the 2024 Africa Company of the Year competition in Mauritius.
“We extend our gratitude to our sponsors, the Project Management Institute and Boeing, for their steadfast support in bringing this initiative to reality,” Akogun added.
