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Nigeria’s Team Dynamites wins Junior Achievement Africa’s competition

By Ujunwa Atueyi
31 December 2015   |   7:54 am
Team Dynamites, comprised of Mercy Idoko, Monalisa Uyojo Ogbobi, Faith Ichado and Maryam Gambo Zakari, all of Government Girls College, Abuja, has emerged winner of the 2014 Junior Achievement (JA) Africa Company of the Year (COY) competition, held in Libreville, Gabon recently.  
Team Dynamites, winners of the 2014 Company of the Year Africa award, Mercy Idoko (left); Maryam Gambo Zakari; Monalisa Uyojo Ogbobi; Faith Ichado, JAN, Abuja Programmes Officer Saratu Bijimi; Executive Director, JAN, Efua Edeh; and Chaperone/Teacher Government Girls College, Abuja, Ojoh Francis Egbunu, at the event.

Team Dynamites, winners of the 2014 Company of the Year Africa award, Mercy Idoko (left); Maryam Gambo Zakari; Monalisa Uyojo Ogbobi; Faith Ichado, JAN, Abuja Programmes Officer Saratu Bijimi; Executive Director, JAN, Efua Edeh; and Chaperone/Teacher Government Girls College, Abuja, Ojoh Francis Egbunu, at the event.

Team Dynamites, comprised of Mercy Idoko, Monalisa Uyojo Ogbobi, Faith Ichado and Maryam Gambo Zakari, all of Government Girls College, Abuja, has emerged winner of the 2014 Junior Achievement (JA) Africa Company of the Year (COY) competition, held in Libreville, Gabon recently.

In addition, the team also won the 2014 FedEx & Citi Client Satisfaction Award, which came with a $2,500 cash prize.
A statement made available to The Guardian by the Executive Director, JA Nigeria, Efua Edeh, revealed that the 2014 JA West African teams were rescheduled to compete in 2015 as a result of the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

She praised the Nigerian team for displaying pure innovative ideas as they battled with the national champions representing 16 JA Africa member-nations during the African Regional COY competition.
She expressed enthusiasm at the potential of Nigerian youths to break socio-economic barriers and create innovative solutions despite the odds.

She said, “At the event, The Dynamites developed products from twine; a strong, affordable raw material and made stylish school bags, purses and shopping bags called ‘Pink Lady.’
“They overcame the challenge of the increasing demand for their products by employing 10 at-risk citizens at N10, 000 a month in the context of the competition. They trained them in six out of seven stages of production, but completed the last stage independently to prevent piracy.

She continued, “The Dynamites recorded a gross profit of N662, a net profit of N165, 000 and sold 250 shares at N200 per unit. For corporate social responsibility, they provided scholarships to two children in their immediate community and planted 250 trees in their school environmental stewardship tagged “going green beyond words.’’

President/Chief Executive Officer of the winning team, Zakari, said, “With what we are doing as The Dynamites, we would no longer fear unemployment after graduation. We are now entrepreneurs.”
Team adviser and principal of the school, Adaviruku Rukaiya, added that, JA Nigeria through their spectacular programmes have consistently sensitised the youths against ignorance and indolence, and have also encouraged innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship, which are required for the emergence of a desired national economy.

For the 2015 competition, Edeh said, “Nigeria was represented in the 2015 category by ‘Team Gemini’ from Noble Heights College, Garki, Abuja. They knitted bags, beaded jewellery and hand-woven sit-out mats made out of Ankara scrap fabric.
“Team Gemini did not win, but proudly represented the 2015 national COY winner, the ‘Roaring Achievers’ made up of students of Loyola Jesuit College, Abuja that could not attend due to examination conflicts.”

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