Nigeria Student Venture Prize Contest Will Solve National Problems –Organisers

The Chief Executive Officer of Edugist, the organisers of the Nigeria Student Venture Prize, Mr. Elvis Boniface says the contest was being organised to create opportunities for students in tertiary institutions to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and contribute in solving national problems. 

He made this known in Calabar during a briefing to kick-start this year’s contest.

He said, “The Prize is designed to empower the most advanced yet simple entrepreneurial ventures by Nigerian undergraduate and graduate students.

“We are rethinking tertiary education in Nigeria with entrepreneurship to create opportunities and contribute in solving national problems.

“The Nigeria Students Venture Prize is intended to help these students accelerate and scale those solutions.”

According to Boniface, the application portal www.nsvprize.com will be opened for students in tertiary institutions across the country to apply from September 1 and end October 31 (8 weeks).

He said 20 candidates from the thousands of applications, will be shortlisted and camped at a one week boot camp which will culminate in a grand finale on December 4 where candidates will pitch their big ideas.

According to him, the grand prize winner will earn N1.5m prize money that will help them launch their impact ventures into the world, while the winner will represent Nigeria at the University Startup World Cup for the first time.

“At the University Startup World Cup, there will be over 100 international teams from universities across the world pitching for a chance to win 15,000 USD,” he said.

In his remarks, Dipo Lawore, the Head, Deal Origination and Investments, Africa Plus Partners Nigeria Limited  said they are happy to be part of the contest.

According to him, APP believes in the Nigerian youths and which was why it has partnered with Edugist to promote entrepreneurship.

Speaking, Funmi Shepherd Ayirioritse, the Chief Operating Officer of Windsworth Hostels and host of the bootcamp welcomed the entrepreneurship contest  for Nigerian students.