By Lilian U. Okoro
Twelve pupil corporations are competing for high honours at Junior Achievement Nigeria’s (JAN) 2026 National Company of the Year Competition on Wednesday.
Speaking at a digital media convention on Tuesday in Lagos, forward of the occasion, Tobiloba Olaosun, Head of Marketing and Communications, JAN, reaffirmed the organisation’s dedication to youth entrepreneurship and sensible schooling.
The competitors, with the theme – “Augmenting Innovation,” will showcase enterprise concepts developed by college students by way of the School-to-Work Educational Transition for Long-Term Youth Fulfilment (SET4LYF) programme.
The (*12*) (NAN) experiences that the profitable firm will symbolize Nigeria on the African Company of the Year Competition.
“We have seen how entrepreneurship can become a meaningful pathway for young people, including through success stories such as Iyin Aboyeji, a serial entrepreneur and former JAN board member,” Olaosun mentioned.
She known as for extra partnerships to increase alternatives for younger folks to develop their entrepreneurial potential and translate revolutionary concepts into viable companies.
Olaosun mentioned the competitors would display how experiential studying might assist younger folks construct confidence, discover profession alternatives and develop options to real-world challenges.
“The support of our partners, teachers and mentors is essential to ensuring that these young innovators can turn their ideas into sustainable solutions,” she mentioned.
The Acting Executive Director of JAN, Olaolu Akogun, emphasised the significance of serving to younger folks apply classroom information to real-life conditions by way of sensible studying experiences.
“The competition is designed to move learning beyond the classroom by giving students the opportunity to test their ideas in real-life business situations,” Akogun mentioned.
NAN additionally experiences that the SET4LYF programme equips women with entrepreneurial, problem-solving and work-readiness abilities to assist their transition from faculty into additional schooling, significant employment and entrepreneurship.
“Through the SET4LYF programme, students are gaining the confidence and skills needed to make informed decisions about their education, careers and future businesses,” Olaosun mentioned.
Through actions together with Ideathon, JA DEEP and the Company Programme, individuals achieve sensible expertise in enterprise improvement, monetary administration, advertising and marketing, teamwork and decision-making.
“The practical activities help participants understand that innovation is not only about creating products, but also about solving problems and responding to the needs of their communities,” Akogun mentioned.
“The second and third place winners will receive $150 and $100, respectively, while another $100 prize will recognise outstanding corporate social responsibility among participating companies.”
The organisers famous that Food Concepts, by way of its Chicken Republic model, would additionally recognise the corporate with one of the best advertising and marketing and gross sales technique.
Also, the Project Management Institute Nigeria Chapter would award certificates to taking part pupil corporations.
The occasion would additionally recognise academics, mentors, volunteers, implementing companions and different stakeholders supporting college students by way of entrepreneurship schooling and abilities improvement.
The competitors additionally shaped a part of JAN’s broader efforts to arrange younger Nigerians for a altering economic system by way of monetary literacy, digital literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship schooling.(NAN)www.nannews.ng
Edited by Vivian Ihechu
