BMCE Bank of Africa announced the winners of the second edition of the African Entrepreneurship Award, which allocates annually $1 million. The award ceremony, chaired by President Othman Benjelloun, was held on Monday December 5th to compensate the most significant and sustainable businesses in the award’s three categories: education, environment and uncharted. This event marks “a fundamental turning point for African Entrepreneurship”.
Among the 37 finalists who participated to the Boot Camp held in Casablanca from November 30 to December 3rd, 2016, 11 winners were selected by a presidential jury.
The list of the 11 winners is as follows:
First Place $150,000
Environment: Mahmud Johnson – Liberia – “Oil Palm products”
Education: Jennifer Shigoli – Tanzania – “Reusable Sanitary Pads”
Second Place $100,000
Environment: Ernie Aylward – South Africa “Electric mini-cabs”
Education: AbideenAdelu – Nigeria – “Mobile application for students”
Uncharted: Joyce Kyalema – Uganda – “Pumpkin food”
Pioneer Awards, $50,000
Frederico Peres da Silva – Mozambique – “Connect blue-collar, informal workers to customers”
Achiri Nji – Cameroon – “Live status updates on road conditions”
Benti Gelalcha – Ethiopia – “Veterinary Ambulatory Clinical Services”
Murtula Sanni – Nigeria – “Online platform for skilled workers”
Omar Kadiri – Morocco – “Free phone credit”
The African Entrepreneurship Award has been announced in November 2014, in Marrakesh, by Chairman Othman Benjelloun at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, in order to promote entrepreneurship and to inspire entrepreneurs to launch and scale up businesses, create jobs and improve lives in Africa.