JA COMPANY OF THE YEAR COMPETITION (Western Region)

Young Junior Achievement Nigeria Entrepreneurs showcase their company products:

The JA Company of the Year Competition is an event organized by Junior Achievement Nigeria (JA Nigeria) designed as a one-day competitive exhibition session to introduce students to the dynamics of sales, packaging, presentation etc. as a company. Actually this event is the climax of a sixteen week training and practice of entrepreneurship for the JA Nigeria Company Program in the various schools. 

The JA Nigeria Company Program (CP) is designed to practically inspire students on entrepreneurship for the world in front of them. Thirty(30) students  are selected from each school to form a company, the students will in turn chose a business name and elect a board to oversee the company`s affair for the next 16weeks. The offices include The Chairman of the board (President/CEO), Director of Production, Marketing, Finance and Human resources. They are to start up a new company and raise capital by sales of shares, do market due diligence after which they decide on what to produce. After production they will decide on the market to sell their products, they are also to pay dividends to investors and use about 10percent of their profit for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). 

They are to submit their annual report and some samples of their product for the trade fair a week before the event for judges to go through. In summary JA Nigeria practically expose the students to all aspects of entrepreneurship ranging from Capitalization, to Production, Marketing, Liquidation (exit strategy) and Corporate Social Responsibility. The one day event which includes interactive and inspirational sessions where the various school representative share practical and personal experiences on their companies journey so far while also exhibiting creative and properly packaged products. 

The 2014 JA Company of the Year Competition (Western Region) took place at Coral Hall, Victoria Island Lagos in partnership with First Bank witnessed nine schools and fifteen companies participated. The competition was a success and the students gave the judges tough time to select the winners. At the end of the day, the companies that won the various awards are as follows:

• 1^ST POSITION: EDEN ENTERPRISE – REDEEMER’S INTERNATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOL, MARYLAND LAGOS
• 2^ND POSITION: RENOVAR ENTERPRISES – DAY WATERMAN COLLEGE, ABEOKUTA OGUN STATE
• 3^RD POSITION: ACES & EIGHTS – FOUNTAIN HEIGHTS SECONDARY SCHOOL, SURULERE LAGOS
• MOST INNOVATIVE PRODUCT AWARD – RENOVAR ENTERPRISES (PORTABLE CHARGER) – DAY WATERMAN COLLEGE, ABEOKUTA OGUN STATE
• CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AWARD – STORM  INCORPORATED – DAY  WATERMAN COLLEGE, ABEOKUTA OGUN STATE

These best three companies from the Western Region have qualified to compete with others companies from other regions during the National Competition to determine the winner that will represent JAN at the JA Africa Company of the Year Competition later in the year.  

Eden Enterprise of Redeemer’s International Secondary School with the goal “To be a world class producer of life saving health care products” came first with the production of First Aid Kits. Mrs. Folashade Adefisayo, one of the judges during the competition was very impressed with the creativity and innovation from the different schools and urged them to make a very good use of their experience during the implementation of the Company Program of JA Nigeria. 

The participating schools were:

S/N	SCHOOL	COMPANY NAME
1	FOUNTAIN HEIGHTS SECONDARY SCHOOL, SURULERE	ACES AND EIGHTS
2	DAY WATERMAN COLLEGE, ABEOKUTA OGUN STATE	RENOVAR ENTERPRISE
		STORM INCORPORATED
		HELIOS
3	REDEEMER’S INTERNATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOL, MARYLAND	EDEN ENTERPRISE
4	CARO FAVOURED COLLEGE, AWODI ORA, APAPA	CREATIVE HANDS
5	NEW STATE HIGH SCHOOL, MUSHIN	YOUNG ACHIEVERS ENTERPRISES
		YOUNG EXPLORERS VENTURE
6	AUNTY AYO’S GIRLS COMPREHENSIVE SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, KEFFI STREET, IKOYI	A2 ENTERPRISE
		BLUE STAR’S ENTERPRISE
7	METHODIST GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL, SABO YABA	PHOENIX
		WREN
8	THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH GRAMMAR SCHOOL, KETU	LIKEMINDERS NIGERIA LTD
		KARA COUTRE
9	UNITED CHRISTIAN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, APAPA	ACME ACHIEVERS

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