JA Nigeria displays innovative drive to top Africa regional competition in Gabon

It was a display of pure innovative ideas by the Junior Achievement Nigeria team as a they battle with national champions representing sixteen (16) JA Africa member nations for the winner of the Junior Achievement African Regional Company of the Year Competition (COY2015) held in Libreville, Gabon recently.

The 2014 JA West African teams were rescheduled to compete in 2015 as a result of the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

JA Nigeria represented by Idoko Mercy, Ogbobi Monalisa, Ichado Faith and Gambo Mariam with a team named The Dynamites are students of Government Girls College, Abuja. After a keenly contested event, The Dynamites emerged the winner of the 2014 JA Africa Company of the Year Award. In addition they also won the 2014 FedEx & Citi Client Satisfaction Award and $2,500 cash prize.

Zakari Maryam Gambo, President/CEO of The Dynamites while speaking about their experiences said that “With what we are doing as The Dynamites, we no longer more fear unemployment after graduation. We are now entrepreneurs!”

Adaviruku Rukaiya, Team Adviser &Principal – GGSS Abaji, also added that, “JA Nigeria through their spectacular programmes have consistently sensitised the youths against ignorance, indolence, and encouraged innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship which are required for the emergence of the desired economy and nation.”

At the event, The Dynamites developed products from twine; a strong, affordable raw material and made stylish school bags, purses and shopping bags called “Pink Lady.” They overcame the challenge of the increasing demand for their products by employing ten (10) at-risk citizens at N10, 000 (Ten Thousand Naira) a month. They trained them in six out seven stages of production, but completed the last stage independently to prevent piracy. The Dynamites record ed a gross profit of N 662,000 (Six Hundred & Sixty Two Thousand Naira); a net profit of N165, 000 (One Hundred & Sixty Five Thousand Naira) and sold two hundred and fifty (250) shares at N200 per unit (Two Hundred Naira). For CSR they provided scholarships to two (2) children in their immediate community and planted 250 plants in their school, environmental stewardship tagged “going green beyond words.’’

JAN Executive Director, Efua Edeh expressed her faith and enthusiasm in the potential of Nigerian youth to break socio-economic barriers and create innovative solutions despite the odds. The Dynamites met four out of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 1, 2, 3& 7viz-Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger, achieving basic education, women empowerment and environmental conservation respectively.

Nigeria was represented in the 2015 category by Team Gemini from Noble Heights College, Garki, Abuja. They knitted bags, beaded jewellery and hand-woven sit- out mats made out of Ankara scrap fabric. Team Gemini did not win, but proudly represented the 2015 National Company of the Year Winner, The Roaring Achievers; Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja who could not attend due to examination conflicts.