Nigeria to host students’ global entrepreneurship competition

Abuja -  Mr  Agwu Amogu, President of Students for Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE), on Wednesday said that Nigeria had been chosen to host the 2013 world students’ global entrepreneurship competition in Abuja.

Amogu in Abuja said that the competition which was the 11th in the series was tagged “The SAGE World Cup’’.

According to Amogu, the competition is scheduled to hold between Aug. 6 and 12.

He said that Nigeria earned the right to host the prestigious SAGE completion edging out Ukraine and South Korea.

“SAGE mission is to create the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders whose innovations and social enterprises are to address the major needs of our global community.

“It engages young people in hands-on learning process on how to create wealth and also on how to help others and their communities.

“This is an honour and opportunity for Nigeria and Africa, as some of the world brightest young people will come to Nigeria and experience Africa’s business environment, culture and hospitality, ‘’he said.

He said that SAGE was a transnational social movement initiated to create a conscious effort to galvanise the enormous creative energies and resources in the world to eradicate poverty.

According to him, the programme will also help to make future dreams come through for Nigerian young people by teaching them entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills needed to be successful.

“We are expecting approximately 30 delegates of secondary school students champion teams from U.S., South Africa, Canada, Ukraine, South Korea, UK, Uganda, Ghana, and Zambia.

Other delegates being expected are Kenya, United Arab Emirate, Sweden, Russia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, China, Jamaica, Ireland, Burundi and Liberia.

Amogu said that the teenage entrepreneurs from across the world would showcase their innovative business and community service projects to a panel that would determine the team that was most creative in entrepreneurship.

He said that the competition would highlight each country’s SAGE team culture with their country embassies in Nigeria would perform songs, dance and make multimedia presentations and exchange arts and crafts.

“It is worthy to note that SAGE Nigeria has won the competition five times in the last six years, Ukraine in 2007, Abuja 2008, Brazil 2009, New York in 2011 and San Francisco, USA 2012.

“We have also initiated a special competition tagged “Tribute to Madiba Contest’’.

Amogu said that the SAGE team members from across the world had been asked to write a short essay title, “Nelson Mandela: An Inspiration to the Next Generation of Change Makers,’’.

“Winners of the contest will be invited to South Africa to participate in the Nelson Mandela essay in September 2013,’’ he said. (NAN)