By Ugo Aliogo
Covenant University has emerged winner of the 2019 Enactus Nigeria National Competition.
The institution will represent the country at the Enactus world cup taking place at the Silicon Valley, California, USA in September, while Ahmadu Bello University, emerged the first runner up with its Zaria project
The university secured the grand prize with a project focused on solving the health problem of tetanus especially among young children in their rural community who couldn’t afford foot wears.
The solution was to provide affordable foot wears for these families, while the team’s second project focused on managing waste problem and also creating building bricks out of trash.
Speaking at the event in Lagos recently themed; ‘Leapfrogging Human Capital Development’, the Country Director, Enactus Nigeria, Mr. Michael Ajayi, commended the team and encouraged them to double their efforts in preparations for the world cup.
He pointed out that Enactus is a non-profit organisation that is improving the quality of lives, providing business solutions to social, economic and environmental challenges in the community.
He added that the organisation is a community of students, academic and business leaders committed to using the power of entrepreneurial action to transform lives.
According to Ajayi, “Since its inception in Nigeria in 2001, the Enactus programme was structured to build the capacity of the participating students in the areas of skills, knowledge and especially character such that they are able to populate the market place with the entrepreneurial mindset and personal leadership required to create real and sustained value for their businesses or the organisations they work for.
“Today, owing to their increased capacity and commendable work ethics and drive, testimonies abound about how Enactus alumni are positively impacting the market place, leading change and making significant contributions to organisational growth and national transformation.”
The competition which was co- sponsored by African Capital Alliance Foundation, Act Foundation, Sahara Group, KPMG, SC Johnson, Seplat Petroleum Development Company, Axa Mansard Insurance Plc, Coca-Cola and Nestle had active participants of over 900 individuals comprising students and academic leaders from over 25 Nigerian tertiary institutions.
In her keynote address, a council member of African Capital Alliance Uwa Osa-Oboh, charged Enactus students on the 5Cs to success which are communication, critical reasoning, creativity, conviction and character, “these steps would forge them into great men and women in future.”
