As part of its commitment to alleviating financial constraints and improving the capacity of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria, the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN) has rewarded three Nigerian technology entrepreneurs (techpreneurs) in the second edition of its Techpreneur Summit held in Lagos.
The three tech startups emerged after a rigorous selection process by subject matter experts who sieved through 79 submissions in the 2023 edition.
Onimisi Charles Atere, the Team Lead and Founder of Nimsy Solar Pumps, emerged winner with a cash reward of N1.5 million. The second position went to Etim Monica Monday, the CFO of Solaristique Nigeria Limited, an agric tech recycling and clean energy company. She was rewarded with a cash prize of N1 million; while Godwin Adoga, founder of OG Capital, an organisation that facilitates safe and fertile land within specially designed estates went home with N750,000 as the third position winner.
With the potential of the Information Technology (IT) sector to transform the Nigerian economy and the acknowledged lack of debt-based investments and mentorship in this sector, DBN initiated the Techpreneur Summit as a platform to deepen the understanding of Nigeria’s tech ecosystem, foster collaborations between all stakeholders and ensure sustainable solutions in the long-term
The theme for the 2023 summit is: “Promoting innovation and Sustainable Partnerships’, which is aimed at driving conversation in the technology sector and accelerating its impact on the social-economic development of Nigeria, by creating jobs, improving the lives of people, and scaling up Nigeria’s tech presence globally.
Speaking virtually at the event, the Managing Director/CEO of DBN, Tony Okpanachi, called for an alliance that would catalyse investments in the tech sector in order to promote innovation and a sustainable future.
