The Nominee Reception for the 2019 edition of Nigeria’s 25under25 Awards was held on August 31st, 2019, just a few hours before the main awards ceremony. The event brought together the 100 shortlisted nominees for an exclusive networking session with members of the SME100Africa community, mentors, seasoned entrepreneurs, and alumni of the 25under25 Awards.
The Nigeria’s 25under25 Awards, organized annually by SME100Africa, is a platform that recognizes and celebrates young entrepreneurs under the age of 25 who are driving innovation, creating jobs, and transforming industries through their micro and small businesses across Nigeria.
Celebrating the 2019 Nominees
The nominee reception was supported by several corporate partners, including Airtel, Nescafé, AXA Mansard, YNaija, BellaNaija, Zinnovation Sports, FCMB, and Jumia.
During the reception, Harriet Thompson, the British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, congratulated all nominees for emerging among the final 100 selected from over 5,000 applications. She encouraged them to remain dedicated to their entrepreneurial journeys and continue making a difference in their respective industries.
Following her remarks, Charles Odii, Executive Director of SME100Africa, joined Harriet Thompson to present the certificates of nomination to the finalists across 25 business categories, including:
Agriculture, Creative Writing & Content Creation, Fashion, Performing Arts, E-commerce, Environment, Housing & Interior Decoration, Beauty & Makeup, Food, Professional Services, Health & Skincare, Media & Communication, Arts, Craft & Culture, Event Planning, Finance & Fintech, Cyber Security & Technology, Education, Sports, Energy & Sustainability, Music, Tourism & Hospitality, Social Entrepreneurship, Software & Design, Photography, Active Citizenship & Government Engagement, and Manufacturing & Logistics.
Nomination & Selection Process
The 100 nominees were carefully shortlisted based on measurable metrics such as:
- Impact on society
- Scalability of the business
- Company registration with CAC
- Annual turnover
- Age and nationality of the entrepreneur
From these nominees, one winner emerged in each of the 25 categories through a multi-layer voting system overseen by an independent audit committee and the SME100Africa Global Advisory Board.
Beyond the Awards
After the ceremony, all 100 nominees were inducted into a 52-week incubation program—a one-year development journey featuring business training, mentorship, partnerships, and funding opportunities. The program begins with a one-week intensive bootcamp designed to equip participants with practical tools and resources to grow their enterprises.
Notable alumni of Nigeria’s 25under25 Leadership Program include:
- Yasmin Belo-Osagie, Founder of She Leads Africa
- Florence Otedola (DJ Cuppy), Entrepreneur & Philanthropist
- Joshua Chibueze, Co-founder of Piggybank (PiggyVest)
These alumni exemplify the program’s impact on Nigeria’s entrepreneurial landscape.
The 25under25 Awards Process
- Call for nominations and nomination research
- Collation and sorting by the Central Planning Committee (CPC)
- Nominee selection
- Verification and confirmation by the CPC
- Approval by the SME100Africa Global Advisory Board
- Final nominee list release
- Public voting
- Independent audit process
- Winner selection
- Final approval by the Global Advisory Board
- Awards ceremony
About Nigeria’s 25under25 Awards
The Nigeria’s 25under25 Awards is an annual entrepreneurship leadership program designed to identify, recognize, celebrate, and support the country’s most promising young innovators, trendsetters, and business leaders under 25. Through mentorship, funding, and exposure, SME100Africa continues to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs, contributing to Nigeria’s socio-economic development.
Contact Information
For more information or inquiries, please contact:
📞 SME100Africa: 0817 774 3650
📧 Email: info@sme100africa.org