From the entry stage, through the preliminary and top to the final podium, Chioma Ukonu Thursday scaled from end to end and emerged Nigerian representative for the global venture of Chivas The Venture – Tech business innovation pitching competition -for the grand prize of one million dollars.
For emerging the winner, Ukonu would join other 31 participants across the world for an Accelerator Week programme in Oxford, UK and from there to The Venture final event in the USA by July 2017.
Ukonu whowill represent Nigeria at the competition currently runs the operations of RecyclePoints in the capacity of the Chief Operations Officer (COO).
Nigeria selected her business idea from other 226 social entrepreneurs that participated in the national pitching venture. The grand finale of the national pitching was a show of three contestants before the thorough bread panelists who were throwing questions at the contestants before an open and heartwarming audience.
All eyes were on the trio of Charles Ahkimien of Mobicure; Chioma Ukonu of Recycle Points and Ecofuture’s Destiny Frederick at the event. They all did their best to finally convince the panelists on their business and its social impact, cash prizes and the all-important one million dollar fund.
Though the three of contestants were brilliant and sounded convincing to be able to face the rigour of the global stage and bring the eventual one million dollar fund for investment in Nigeria but the ultimate was one person. And it was the day of RecyclePoints. But the trio carted home a total sum of N1.750,000;00k.
According to Tobi Fasuyi, Chivas Brand Ambassador, the prize money was contributions from well-meaning individuals over the course of the venture in what she referred to as the Icon Initiative. The Chivas Icon, coincidentally, is the oldest drink in the Chivas Range available in Nigeria.
On the panel seats were returning judge, Audu Maikori; Forbes West Africa correspondent, Peace Hyde; Deputy Director of the Enterprise Development Centre, Nneka Okekearu as well as agric entrepreneur, Shola Ladoja and Managing Director of Pernod Ricard Nigeria, Olivier Fages.
After a draw to pick the first presentation, Destiny took the floor to speak of the social impact and business prospects of Ecofuture. The startup provides waste-management system solutions by using SMS, geo-mapping and smart bins to collect recyclable waste from business and households in exchange for household items and cash. This waste is then sold to companies that use them.
According to Destiny, they aim to impact the society by cleaning up the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that come from burning waste. Asked how she would invest her prize money, she said that building infrastructure, and marketing the product with a view to scale were high among her priorities.
Next was Charles Immanuel Akhimien, founder of Mobicure, creators of Omomi (Yoruba for ‘My Child’). A mobile platform, Omomi provides medical information and specific support for pregnant and nursing mothers in real-time using SMS services, Interactive Voice Recordings and the mobile app.
Since they launched in 2015, they have provided services to over 14000 mothers, created a Mother’s community for users and are currently the only product serving that space. Charles, a Mandela Washington fellow, said that the platform needs money to bring in more doctors, with a projection of 150 specialists and set up call centres as well as two-way messaging services.
Finally, eventual winner Chioma Ukonu presented Recycle Points, an initiative that aims to collect recyclable waste through a community-based waste processing enterprise called CoSoHUB (Collection and Sorting Hub) as well as smaller waste collection points called iRecycle kiosks and electric cargo tricycles.
Households and businesses under the scheme give waste in exchange for points which when accumulated can be exchanged for household items and cash. The waste collected is then sold to companies that use them to produce re-usable products.
One of their more innovative features is a Reverse Vending store where users can exchange waste for tickets, refreshments and the like. In contributing their quota by creating jobs, empowering the youth and cleaning up the environment, Recycle Points looked to raise capital to set up more recycling hubs in five more states and reach five million homes.
After much deliberation, the MD, Pernod Ricard Nigeria, Olivier Fages announced Recycle Points as the winner of the Chivas Venture. Runners-up, EcoFuture and Mobicure went home with five hundred thousand and two hundred and fifty thousand naira only.
As winners of the Lagos Edition, Recycle Points will represent Nigeria in the global Finals alongside 32 other social entrepreneurs
