The International Climate Change Development Initiative (I.C.C.D.I.), a youth-led organisation seeking to build a climate-smart generation through education and empowerment across Africa has won the grand prize of N700,000 (seven hundred thousand naira) in the 2019 SAGE Climate Pitch Competition.
The SAGE Climate Pitch Competition is an initiative of the Social Accelerator for a Green Economy (S.A.G.E.) Innovation Centre, a non-profit organisation that empowers entrepreneurs to build solutions in the fight against climate change.
At the end of a fierce contest that held at Oriental Hotel in Lagos, I.C.C.D.I. came tops while Bio-Stark Green Solutions, a company that recycles organic waste into bio-energy emerged the first runner up and got N300,000.
Nazanin Alakija, the founder of SAGE Innovation Centre, stated that the pitching competition was aimed at seeking entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and solutions to fight climate change. She also revealed that the winners are worthy entrepreneurs whose ideas have demonstrated viable solutions to make the planet safer.
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“The SAGE pitching competition was opened to all social entrepreneurs with viable and innovative ideas to help our environment safer, and it is amazing to witness the success of this day as the winners have come up with unmatched ideas to making the world a safer place for all. I congratulate all the winners and the finalists,” she said.
Abikoye Abimbola, Campaign Lead for I.C.C.D.I. Africa, and winner of the grand prize of the pitching competition expressed her profound gratitude to the SAGE Innovation Center for giving climate advocates a platform to showcase their ideas to fighting issues affecting the environment.
Jeremiah Hinmikaye, founder of Bio-Stark Green Solutions and first runner up at the competition, revealed that SAGE Innovation Center has set the pace for other climate advocacy groups by supporting entrepreneurs who have sustainable solutions to fighting climate change. He further called on other companies to emulate the SAGE Innovation Centre to come up with such platforms to help more social entrepreneurs scale up their practices in the fight against climate change.
The SAGE Pitching Competition had a total of 17 viable entries, out of which the top five pitched at the competition and two winners emerged, going home with a total of One Million Naira. All top five contestants were also given certificates of participation by the Social Accelerator for a Green Economy.