A total of ₦2.25 million in investment prizes has been awarded to student entrepreneurs at the ICERFE Student Enterprise Pitch 2.0, hosted by the International Centre of Excellence for Rural Finance and Entrepreneurship (ICERFE) at Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, on Saturday, September 6, 2025.
The competition drew entries from over 300 student-led enterprise teams, with 20 selected for the UNDP Cohort 1. Ten of these advanced to pitch their business ideas before a panel of judges.
Beacon Aromatics emerged overall winner, securing the ₦1 million top prize. Miemie’s Wears claimed second place with ₦750,000, while PathPilot finished third with ₦500,000.
In addition, seven other teams received certificates and ₦200,000 each in support funding for their ventures.
Speaking at the event, ABU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, commended ICERFE for creating a platform that promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. Represented by the Director of the Distance Learning Centre, Prof. M. B. Mua’zu, the Vice-Chancellor praised the participating students for their creativity and drive.
Director of ICERFE, Dr. Idris Bashir Bugaje, urged students to embrace entrepreneurship as a path to self-reliance. He said the prize money would serve as seed funding, adding that the winners would be closely monitored to ensure judicious use of the funds.
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Hamma Bala Francis, CEO of Charis Trading Floor Ltd, challenged students to rethink traditional career paths. He argued that Nigeria’s education system often conditions graduates for job-seeking rather than job creation, describing the conventional 9-to-5 model as “modern-day slavery.”
In his closing remarks, ICERFE Deputy Director, Dr. Hamisu Mohammed Ya’u, expressed appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor for his support, as well as to the judges, speakers, and guests who attended the competition.
The pitch competition is part of ICERFE’s ongoing effort to nurture a culture of innovation among Nigerian students and equip them with tools to tackle unemployment through enterprise development.
