Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation, in partnership with the University of Lagos Entrepreneurship and Skills Development Center, ESDC, has recognised three Nigerians for their innovative concepts.

Both organisations did so at the second edition of the Business Innovation and Talent Expression, BITE, programme, saying they displayed an inventive and entrepreneurial spirit.

According to a statement, the BITE programme attracted over 300 budding innovators who submitted their ideas to a panel of judges.

The statement added that these innovative concepts spanned various sectors, from cutting-edge technological solutions in healthcare and agriculture to ingenious approaches addressing everyday challenges.

It reads: “The panel, comprising industry experts and business leaders, was thoroughly impressed by the creativity and potential demonstrated by the participants.

“Commencing in late February with over 300 applicants, the competition involved a rigorous selection process that initially narrowed the field to 120 candidates for evaluation by the judges in the third round. The judges included Adebola Olujimi, CEO of Emadeb Energy; Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, Co-Founder of Future Africa, Andela, and Flutterwave; Tolulope Olumilua, CEO of Opulence Capital; Kene Egbue, Programme Director at the Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation; and Mrs. Olawumi Fajemirokun, Executive Director at the Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation. Subsequently, 60 contestants progressed to the second round, leading to the selection of the top ten finalists. These finalists had the opportunity to present their ideas to a distinguished jury during the final phase of the competition.

The BITE competition winners were announced on May 16, 2024: Father Chow emerged as the champion, securing a 2 million naira grant. Phoenix secured the second position, receiving a grant of N750,000. Fladov claimed the third spot, also awarded N750,000.

The statement quoted Father Chow saying: “We started in January 2022 and we sold over 843 packs of our Bread Sandwich in 10 days. I am grateful to God for this opportunity and the Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation, it’s a dream come true to win this funding. With this, we will be able to scale and expand to get bicycles to run deliveries and do more on the marketing side.”

Also quoting Executive Director of Oladele Fajemirokun Foundation, Mrs Olawunmi Fajemirokun, the statement said: “We are extremely proud of our effort to foster innovation and entrepreneurship, exemplifying our commitment to nurturing talent and forward thinking leadership. We are looking forward to the 3rd edition happening in Ibadan later this year.”