Ayodeji Ayenuwa
In a remarkable event at Addis Ababa, Nigerian startups achieved recognition at the Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa Summit. The summit, conducted in collaboration with various partners, revealed 16 African category winners.
Notably, three Nigerian startups secured awards in their respective categories.
Leading the pack, Emergency Response Africa, won the top prize in the HealthTech category for their innovative use of technology to connect individuals in medical emergencies with swift care. CEO Olufolakemi Owodunni expressed her gratitude, stating, “Winning the health tech award is truly an honour for us at Emergency Response Africa. It is a powerful reminder that our vision of an Africa where everyone can access emergency help in less than 10 minutes resonates.”
Awabah Nigeria, a digital technology company focusing on financial sustainability for informal sector workers, received accolades as the Best Newcomer. CEO Tunji Andrews spoke highly of the event’s organization, saying, “I was blown away by the organization of what is a truly Pan-African celebration of entrepreneurship.“
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In the Best Edtech category, Dataleum Limited, a tech training and consulting firm, stood out for their exceptional work in training over 16,000 individuals in premium tech skills. CEO Bode Roberts accepted the award and emphasized their commitment to making a more significant impact, stating, “We take this as a call to do more – to triple our efforts in making more impact in the Tech Talent Ecosystem and to keep making our great nation proud.”
These Nigerian startups faced fierce competition, with over 8,200 entrants participating in the GSA Africa, including 1,780 from the Western Africa region. Notably, the winning startups have gained the opportunity to engage with the GIIG Africa Fund, the event’s investment partner, to further their impact.
The GSA Africa Summit is not just a celebration of African innovation but also a platform for emerging startup nations and leaders to collaborate and transform Africa’s influence in the global community. As Jo Griffiths, Co-founder of the GSA Africa and GIIG, highlighted, “The Global Startup Awards Africa aims to raise the visibility of African innovation as a unifying mechanism that transcends borders, cultures, and nationalities as well as the diverse maturity levels of the various startup ecosystems.”
The event also encourages organizations to support African innovation and share the vision of scaled impact. The event’s key partners included UNICEF Ethiopia, UNDP Ethiopia, Grant Thornton Ethiopia, The Mayor’s Office Addis Ababa, The Development Bank Ethiopia, First Consult, and Loudhailer Global. This event serves as a significant recognition of African startups and their contributions to the continent’s growth and innovation.
Techrectory with Agency Report.
