In response to COVID-19, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) held the NINJA Business Plan Competition: NINJA Accelerator Programme in Nigeria, with eight outstanding companies from Nigeria emerging as winners (NINJA stands for Next Innovation with Japan).
Each company has been given a limit of US$30,000 to continue with a Proof of Concept (PoC) project.
On a global basis, economic growth declined during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Many private companies have had to downsize or adjust their business strategy due to a significant drop in revenue generation, his happened in Africa and Asia as well.
Many entrepreneurs faced a shaky social infrastructure, limited public support, and a disjointed supply chain.
Innovative business solutions were needed to save lives, create jobs, and provide a means of subsistence.
As a result, so many of these solutions arose, many of them were concerned with remote medical treatment, information transfer, remote labor and education and learning tools, and logistics.
JICA will provide effective support through the NINJA Accelerator Programme in Nigeria, in addition to providing these entrepreneurs with proof-of-concept chances.
The following startups have been selected:
The NINJA Accelerator Programme in Nigeria is one of JICA’s startup support programs, and its goal is to stimulate innovations that use new technology to solve societal challenges. Across the country, innovative companies contribute considerably to economic growth and job creation. “Nigeria is one of the primary objectives for JICA because of its enormous innovative ecosystem and the potential that exist inside the country,” says Shohei Sato, a JICA Representative in Nigeria.
The program will assist startups in growing their businesses while also giving funding and visibility.
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