Nigerian entrepreneur, Ikpeme Neto, emerges winner of Business Heroes competition
What you need to know:
- His company has successfully served over 130,000 patients, generating substantial monthly revenue by reducing costs and improving accessibility.
Kigali. On a night filled with anticipation and excitement, the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda played host to the final event of the 2023 Africa’s Business Heroes (ABH) competition.
The 2023 Africa's Business Heroes (ABH) competition concluded on Friday night with the announcement of the winner, Nigerian doctor and entrepreneur Ikpeme Neto.
The prestigious competition, which aims to recognize and support outstanding African entrepreneurs, witnessed Nigerian doctor and entrepreneur Ikpeme Neto claim the top spot.
Kenya’s Thomas Njeru secured the second spot, while Egyptian Ayman Bazaraa claimed the third position. The final event, held at the Kigali Convention Center in Rwanda, featured ten finalists who presented their enterprises and their community impact.
Ikpeme Neto, the visionary behind Wellahealth Technologies, has transformed healthcare access in Africa. His company has successfully served over 130,000 patients, generating substantial monthly revenue by reducing costs and improving accessibility.
Despite a strong presence of startups and invertors, no Tanzanian made it into the top ten this year. Elia Timotheo, the 2022 winner from Tanzania, expressed the need to engage with the Startups Association of Tanzania. He aims to guide them on specific parameters for pitching in the competition, creating impressive write-ups, and effectively responding to questions to increase their chances of success.
In an interview with The Citizen, Timotheo emphasized the importance of training and mentoring Tanzanian entrepreneurs.
"Some entrepreneurs from within and outside the country approached me for guidance on winning. Now, I believe it's more than just advice; we should actively train our people, inform them about these opportunities, and provide guidance. There are incredible initiatives happening in the country."
Timotheo, the founder and CEO of East Africa Food, won last year's prize for his business in food distribution. The company purchases food from farmers, processes it, and distributes it to urban retailers, focusing on fast-moving products such as potatoes, bananas, onions, rice, and beans.
Before the Grand Finale, ABH organized a summit on November 23rd, where it was highlighted that over 100,000 participants have engaged in the competition since its inception, and the projects that are being showcased during the competition have been particularly centered around critical sectors such as agriculture, education, energy, finance, healthcare, manufacturing, and retail.
During the summit, Alibaba Partnership executive and Jack Ma Foundation board member Mr. Sun Lijun said Africa's entrepreneurial spirit, powered by the growing adoption of digital technologies, has unlocked the opportunities for young Africans to tackle societal challenges in education, healthcare, and the economy.
“Over the past five years, the entrepreneurial spirit powered by the digital economy has not just blossomed in China but also fiercely ignited across Africa. It has been inspiring to see them deploy advanced technologies such as AI, big data, and blockchain to forge solutions that are groundbreaking and inventive,” he said.
During the, Zahra Baitie-Boateng, ABH Head of Partnerships and Programs, said their collective and individual achievements as top heroes propel them to go further, dream bigger, and drive toward our mission of strengthening the African entrepreneur ecosystem.
“Our 50 Top 10 Heroes represent each region of Africa, and together they operate in 52 African countries, serving 38 million users and customers. Collectively, they have raised over $150 million in investment and created over 123,000 direct and indirect jobs,” she said.
