A school from Kano State, Darun Noor by Intercontinental Schools, has clinched the title of National Company of the Year in a competition sponsored by FirstBank. The school outperformed 11 other schools from across Nigeria to claim the grand prize, which includes a chance to represent Nigeria at the African Company of the Year competition in Mauritius.
The annual event, organized by Junior Achievement Nigeria (JAN), focused on promoting innovative entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths. The theme for this year’s competition was “Greenoovation.”
Olusegun Alebiosu, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of FirstBank, expressed his satisfaction with the participation of over 1.5 million young Nigerians from 2,500 schools in the bank’s FutureFirst initiative. This initiative provides financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and career counseling to students.
Alebiosu commended the students for their innovative projects and emphasized the importance of sustainability in entrepreneurship.
The winning school, Darun Noor, presented a smart irrigation system called “Smart Sprinkler” designed to boost agricultural production. The first runner-up, Innovative Heritage School, developed “De-Amazons,” a company that produces organic marker ink. The second runner-up, Ibesikpo Secondary Commercial School, launched “Green Cycle,” a company that manufactures fashionable bags from recycled materials.
The businesses established by the students were evaluated by a team of experts based on various criteria, including ideas, financial reports, presentations, and exhibitions.
The proprietress of Darun Noor, Hadiza Baba, expressed her excitement and pride in the school’s achievement. This marks the 25th edition of the National Company of the Year competition, and FirstBank has been a dedicated sponsor for over a decade.
