The Exploit of Hult Prize FUNAAB

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By Emmanuel Adegboyega

Innovation and creativity are the two skill sets that have shaped the world and resources are being channeled towards recruiting innovative and creative individuals in all spheres of human endeavours globally. Hult Prize is an annual, year-long competition that crowd-sources ideas from undergraduates and master’s students in colleges and universities across the globe after challenging them to solve a pressing social issue around topics such as food security, water access, energy, and education.

It was founded by Ahmad Ashkar and a donation of US$1 million in seed capital to help the winning team launch a social enterprise. The Prize is a partnership between Hult International Business School and the United Nations Foundation and former U.S. president Bill Clinton announces the winner each year. The Hult prize has been referred to as the “Nobel Prize for students” by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The Hult Prize FUNAAB is an offset of Hult Prize international, Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB) being one of the universities in Nigeria that is actively running her OnCampus events in a bid to present the best team with the most innovative business idea on “Food for Good” which is the social challenge the Hult Prize is putting forward this year for scalable solutions.

Against all odds of the pandemic which made every form of physical activities which has been the modus operandi of executing the event, the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of Hult Prize FUNAAB through the dynamic leadership of the Campus Director Shina Ajoye, a 500l student of Environmental Management and Toxicology has been able to register a total number of sixty-six (66) teams from the pool of which the best team will be presented for the regional events where they will compete with other best teams across Africa in any of the selected venue between Abuja, Nigeria or Accra, Ghana.

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This feat of registering teams was achieved through media partnerships with prominent radio stations and online media houses within FUNAAB and beyond.

A number of seasoned professionals and expatriates have been invited as judges to select the best team which shall be presented for the regional event on the final OnCampus event which is scheduled to hold on 15th December, 2020, notable among the judges is the Honorable Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Investment in Ogun state, Mrs. Kikelomo Longe and Miss Elizabeth Oladepo, the winner of Nigeria’s 25 under 25 awards who also has twenty-seven (27) Business certifications from Chevron Nigeria Limited to her name.

The best five teams will be selected and announced on this final OnCampus event day out of which the best will proceed to represent the institution at the regional event while the best team at the regional event proceeds to the global event at New York City, U.S.A. vis-à-vis where the winner will be announced.

The Hult Prize is zero funded until the global event stage and so the Local Organizing Committee are responsible for the funding of the OnCampus event and the onus lies on them to sponsor their best team to the regional event. This the straw that broke the camel’s back as members of the LOC of Hult Prize FUNAAB are also students who are contributing in their own little way to help students who has innovative and creative ideas showcase what they have with the global world and this is why we call on well meaning individuals, cooperate organizations, NGOs and other related bodies especially in the food industries for sponsorships ranging from supporting the best five teams at the OnCampus level with internship opportunities and a start-up capital to kick-start their social enterprise and also funding the best team for travel and accommodation expenses to the regional event. Details of this sponsorship can be gotten from the Campus Director, Shina Ajoye (0811109581) or via email at [email protected]

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