Nigeria’s Temie Tubosun Crowned Winner Of Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative
The Jack Ma Foundation has through its Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) awarded $1 Million to the top ten entrepreneurs from the continent with Nigeria’s Temie Giwa-Tubosun emerging as the overall winner as she goes home with a whopping $250,000.
The ANPI is a Jack Ma flagship entrepreneur program led by the Jack Ma Foundation aimed at providing the needed boost and support to African entrepreneurs who are influencing and making a change in their countries.
It is the maiden edition of its kind and saw close to 10,000 entrepreneurs from 50 countries from the continent making entries with their application in a bid to benefit from the $1 Million prize money.
At the Accra International Conference Center in Ghana on Saturday, November 16, 2019, the top 10 finalists from the thousands gathered to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges consisting of Jack Ma (Billionaire and founder of Alibaba), Joseph C. Tsai (executive vice-chairman of Alibaba Group), Strive Masiyiwa (Founder and Executive Chairman of Econet Group), and Ibukun Awosika (Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria and Founder/CEO of The Chair Centre Group).
Following hours of pitching, Nigeria’s Temie Giwa-Tubosun who is the founder of LifeBank emerged as the overall winner beating strong competition from the other nine candidates who are equally making strives and changing lives with their businesses.
She takes home $250,000 with the first runner-up Dr. Omar Sakr, founder and CEO of Nawah-Scientific receiving $150,000. The second runner-up Christelle Kwizera, founder of Water Access Rwanda has also been awarded $100,000 as the remaining 7 candidates bag $65,000 each.
Speaking at the end of the event, Mrs. Temie Giwa-Tubosun dedicated the award to all her working staff.
She expresses appreciation to the Alibaba Group whiles stressing that the prize money will help her business to expand to more regions in Nigeria to contribute to the critical work they do.
On his part, Founder of the Alibaba Group, Jack Ma commended all the top candidates whiles describing them as winners.
According to him, all the ‘heroes’ will go a long way to change Africa and the world as a whole.
“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”, he said.
Jack Ma added, “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.”