$1 Million Awarded to African Entrepreneurs in Grand Finale of the Jack Ma Foundation Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative

$1 Million Awarded to African Entrepreneurs in Grand Finale of the Jack Ma Foundation Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative

The aim of the prize is to support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs who are building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future

ACCRA, Ghana, November 17, 2019/ -- Last night the Jack Ma Foundation hosted its first annual Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) (https://www.Netpreneur.Africa/) grand finale awarding $1 million in prize money to 10 entrepreneurs from across Africa.

The ANPI is a flagship initiative of the Jack Ma Foundation, created by Jack Ma after his first trip to Africa in 2017. The aim of the prize is to support and inspire the next generation of African entrepreneurs who are building a more sustainable and inclusive economy for the future. In its inaugural year, nearly 10,000 entrepreneurs from 50 countries across the continent applied. The Jack Ma Foundation has committed to running the competition for 10 years.

The finale event, called “Africa’s Business Heroes,” was held in Accra, Ghana, where the top 10 finalists pitched their businesses directly to four prestigious judges including Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba Group and the Jack Ma Foundation; Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Group; Ibukun Awosika, Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and Founder/CEO of The Chair Centre Group; and Joe Tsai, Executive Vice Chairman of Alibaba.

The specifics of the prize pool division is listed below. Each finalist is receiving a share of $1 million.

The top three finalists were:

Temie Giwa-Tubosun, founder and CEO, LifeBank (https://LifeBank.ng/) ( Nigeria) – First Place, winning $250,000
Dr. Omar Sakr, founder and CEO, Nawah-Scientific (https://Nawah-Scientific.com/) (Egypt) – Second Place, winning $150,000
Christelle Kwizera, founder, Water Access Rwanda (https://www.WARwanda.com/) (Rwanda) – Third Place, winning $100,000

“It was an incredible honor to be named Africa’s Business Hero. I was truly inspired by my fellow winners at today’s Netpreneur Summit. The Africa Netpreneur Prize will give me the resources to grow LifeBank and expand our presence in Nigeria and throughout the rest of Africa. I look forward to continuing my journey to solve problems and make a significant impact on the future of Africa,” said Temie Giwa-Tubosun, Founder and CEO of LifeBank.

The remaining finalists, who each received $65,000, are listed below:

Waleed Abd El Rahman, CEO, Mumm (https://www.getMumm.com/) (Egypt)
Ayodeji Arikawe, co-founder, Thrive Agric (https://ThriveAgric.com/)(Nigeria)
Mahmud Johnson, founder and CEO, J-Palm (https://www.JPalmshop.com/) (Liberia)
Kevine Kagirimpundu, co-founder and CEO, UZURI K&Y (https://shop.UZURIKY.com/) (Rwanda)
Dr. Tosan J. Mogbeyiteren, founder, Black Swan (https://bit.ly/2OjgHFY) (Nigeria)
Chibuzo Opara, co-founder, DrugStoc (https://www.DrugStoc.com/) (Nigeria)
Moulaye Taboure, co-founder and CEO, Afrikrea (https://www.Afrikrea.com/) (Cote D’Ivoire)

“The finalists who competed in ‘Africa’s Business Heroes’ should be an inspiration for Africa and for the world. Each of these entrepreneurs looked at big challenges facing their communities, and saw them as opportunities,” said Jack Ma, Founder of the Alibaba Group and Jack Ma Foundation. “It is my strong belief that entrepreneur heroes, like these finalists, will change the world – creating companies that drive inclusive growth and opportunity for the continent. Everyone is a winner tonight.”

“This competition demonstrates the overwhelming entrepreneurial talent that exists across Africa. I’m very excited about the future of industry and entrepreneurship for this continent,” said Strive Masiyiwa, Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Group. “The top 10 truly show the limitless potential of African business.”

“What really struck me about the finalists was that they each addressed specific African problems with a specific African solution in a fresh way, leveraging technology that wasn’t available previously,” said Ibukun Awosika, Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and Founder/CEO of The Chair Centre Group. “If this is an indication of the future of entrepreneurship on the continent, then Africa’s future looks bright.”

“Africa’s Business Heroes” will be televised in a two-hour special throughout Africa. The journeys of the finalists as well as their pitches and business insights from the judges will all be included in this exciting television event.

You can watch “Africa’s Business Heroes” on the following dates and channels:

December 13, 2019 - ROK 3 on DSTV
December 14, 2019 - NOVELA and Sports Focus on StarTimes

Check your local listings for specific channel and airing times.

The initiative will host a pitch competition where 10 finalists from across the continent will compete for $1 million in total prize money every year through 2028. All entrepreneurs across Africa, are encouraged to apply. Entries for next year’s prize will open in the first half of 2020.

Follow @africanetpreneurprize (https://bit.ly/2pqInf) on Facebook, @AFNetpreneurs (https://www.Netpreneur.Africa/) on Twitter for application details. For photos and videos from the finale event, please visit Alizila (https://bit.ly/2qWkxgf)

Olashore International receives 2018 Africa Top Schools CEO Award

The Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Olashore International School, Iloko Ijesa,

Mr. Derek Smith has received the 2018 Outstanding Schools CEO Awards by Africa Brands Review.

The award was presented at the 2018 Africa Top Schools conference which held in Lagos.
One of the key criteria for the award is that the school must have an excellent track record of producing first class degree students in top ranked universities globally and must have produced same in the last five years.
At Olashore, in line with its mission statement, each student is given a strong academic foundation and they are groomed to become dynamic global leaders for the 21st century. Graduates have gone on to study in top universities locally and internationally. In 2017, the school produced a number of first class graduates among who are Chinazo Peace Eze, Abdul Hafiz Alako, Oluwatobi Agbaje and Oluwatunmike Olowe.


Chinazo Peace Eze graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a first class degree in Geology and is also the school’s 2017 Outstanding Graduate. Abdul Hafiz Alako graduated with a first class degree in Mechatronic Engineering from Lancaster University in the U.K. and is the recipient of the Institution of Mechanical Engineering (IMechE) Best Project Award in Mechatronics Engineering. Oluwatobi Agbaje also graduated from Lancaster University with a first class in Accounting and Finance. In Nigeria, Oluwatunmike Olowe graduated with a first class from Redeemers University, Ede.
Commenting on the award, Mr. Smith said, “This is a validation of the school’s commitment to giving each student an all-round education that allows them to go on to be successful in higher education both in Nigeria and abroad.”


The performance of a school’s graduates speaks volumes about the school and the quality of education being provided. Not only do Olashore graduates do well in school and higher education, they have gone on to be successful in their careers with many becoming senior managers after just a few years on the job. An example of this is Mrs. Kikelomo Banjo, a pioneer student who is currently Operations Manager for Maersk Line in Nigeria. When asked what led to her success in a traditionally male dominated industry, she stated, “It all comes down to my formative years at Olashore, being taught and allowed to lead at a very young age.” The 2018 Africa Top Schools Awards by Africa Brands Review seeks to celebrate excellence among secondary schools in Africa.
Established in 1994, on 60 acres of land, Olashore International School is a co-educational school which offers high caliber education in a wide range of subjects in partnership with Lancaster University. Over the past 20 years, the school has succeeded in creating a community of world class services around the school including a first class hotel, a golf course and Leadership training centre that all combine to give the school a unique identity. The school is particularly appealing to discerning Nigerians at home and abroad, as well as expatriates residing in Nigeria, who desire a school with a strong value system, demonstrable track record and a clear sense of purpose.

The School Library

Prince Abimbola Olashore
The Chairman, Board of Director, Olashore International School,

Lagos State Charge Lagosians to use the pedestrian Bridge

A footbridge (also called a pedestrian bridge, pedestrian overpass, or pedestrian overcrossing) is a bridge designed for pedestrians and in some cases cyclists, animal traffic, and horse riders, instead of vehicular traffic. Footbridges complement the landscape[citation needed] and can be used decoratively to visually link two distinct areas or to signal a transaction. In many developed countries, footbridges are both functional and can be beautiful works of art and sculpture. For poor rural communities in the developing world, a footbridge may be a community's only access to medical clinics, schools and markets, which would otherwise be unreachable when rivers are too high to cross. Simple suspension bridge designs have been developed to be sustainable and easily constructional in such rural areas using only local materials and labor.

An enclosed footbridge between two buildings is sometimes known as a skyway. Bridges providing for both pedestrians and cyclists are often referred to as greenbridges and form an important part of sustainable transport movement towards more sustainable[clarification needed] cities. Footbridges are often situated to allow pedestrians to cross water or railways in areas where there are no nearby roads to necessitate a road bridge. They are also located across roads to let pedestrians cross safely without slowing down the traffic.

As important as the advocacy campaign on the importance of the use of the bridge in Lagos State,Governor Akinwunmi Ambode charged Lagosians to be safety cautious and avoid crossing the highways like in areas like Ojota,Onipanu,Obanikoro and other bridges in Lagos .

The Enforced group (David Mode Securities)charged Lagosians to co-prate with them is creating safety and advocate on the importance of using the bridge.