By Fatimah Idera
Young people and organizations have been encouraged to build, promote innovations and embrace opportunity.
This call was made at the 10th edition of the Social Innovation Programme and Awards (SIPA) conference of LEAP AFRICA with a theme, Reawaken, Redesign and Re-emerge Africa beyond potential innovations.
In his speech, the Managing Principal Sovereign Capital, Henry Keastener, who stated that people get empowered by those already on the bus disclosed that Africa innovators helped him to become a great innovator.
Mr Keastener urged innovators to focus on the mission and vision not on fundraising and execution but on the young ones who come onboard as volunteers, adding that networking should be brought up by building a great team to achieve the main goal.
“I have traveled to more than 50 countries and I have never received a better welcome than Nigeria— never been more encouraged by the dynamism in the marketplace or more excited by the potential of an incredible job.”
While stating that building an organization requires financial capital, he urged innovators to always learn from their financial mistakes and stand a better chance of raising capital that will help propel their growth.
Similarly, the Director of Clayton Christensen Institute of Disruptive Innovation, Efosa Ojomo during his presentation on the power of innovations, stated that the importance of good theories was the power of market creating innovations.
Mr Ojomo stated that innovation has three components: sustaining innovation which focuses on targeting opportunity to create new jobs, effective innovation which means exacerbate inequality— negative development and market-creating innovation which is simple, affordable, creates jobs and enables new development.
“My organization saw some rural people washing beside a stream and then tried building a borehole for the community which later developed a fault and another renovation of the building well was brought.”
Also, the Chairman and CEO of African Health Holdings, Sangu Delle, charged young innovators on problem solving problems, technology leveraging.
Mr Delle who also works for Copoints organization aimed at building social innovation stated that everyone faces healthcare challenges, noting that the organization had built the largest hospital in the continent and contribute to the entrepreneurship ecosystem as well as break the bias of inequality.
More so, the founder of Using Plastic To Make Polish( shine my shoe) and a spoken word artist named Havfy is also a student of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria (ABU) who speaks on society and how to grow on it.
The street that kills dreams and innovation.” youth to teach their leg to walk away from irrelevant conversation, teach your hand to pull off from societal inclination, teach your mouth to speak out when in danger and teach your eyes and mind to focus because your body needs your concentration”.
Speaking on the challenges black women face to established organizations, the CEO of Girltrek, Vanessa Garrison, said many women in rural areas are skillful and full of creations without being celebrated.
She said there should be mobilization of both local and cities about the organization by encouraging people to start movement and mobilization that they are worthy of living regardless of any house chores and work with Girltrek to achieve their aim.
More so, the Senior Adviser of Africa of convergence of finance, Mrs Michelin Ntiru called on veteran innovators to sensitize young ones on how they started and where they have been— what made them unique in their entrepreneurship journey.
On his part, founder of the Smile Shop Limited, Saheed Jumah revealed that human resources is one of the major problems of a social entrepreneur.
An attendee, John Akinseloyin, a 300 level Chemistry student of University of Lagos and CEO of krawdwise– a non- governmental organization expressed satisfaction, adding that he had been anticipating meeting like minds and those who have successfully scaled their non-profit organization without stress.
The event was graced by reputable people across the world as well as the Founder of LEAP AFRICA, Mrs Ndidi Okonkwo MFR, MR Udeme Ufort MFR, Managing director of LEAP AFRICA, Mrs Rabbi Isma non-executive of Stanbic IBTC bank, Mr Samuel Kolawole founder of the cable newspaper among others.
Other activities at the event included a question and answer session, presentation of awards, and certificates to young LEAP AFRICA who had worked tremendously in their organization.
