For the first time, the yearly Unilever Ideatrophy, saw more contestants drawn from across Nigerian and Ghana. According to the organiser, the idea was to broaden the scope for more youths who desire first-hand experience in dealing with real life business challenges.
The ‘Team Triarchy’ from Nigeria emerged the overall winner, following a keenly contested competition. The team had the trio of Temitope Smith, an undergraduate of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso; Uzomba Ikechukwu, from the University of Ibadan; and Egbo Chidera, from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Ghana’s ‘Team Kool T’ and Nigeria’s ‘Team Classic’ emerged first and second runners up, while Team Supernova came fourth. Team Midas from Nigeria also won the Most compelling Idea award.
For their feat, Team Triachy members were presented with i-Phone 7 each, while the team would represent Nigeria and Ghana at the Africa rounds in South Africa.
The Ideatrophy competition, which hit its sixth edition this year, was designed to develop young talents, mostly undergraduates across universities in Nigeria and Ghana along the lines of personal, leadership and entrepreneurial competences.
Speaking at the event, which held at 9 Degrees in Oregun Lagos, Unilever, Managing Director, Nigeria-Ghana, Mr Yaw Nsarkoh, appreciated participants’ efforts, advising them to be persistent in the drive to achieve their goals. He also encouraged them to develop their knowledge and skills to meet up with global standards.
He said the theme for this year’s event: ‘Being awake to what really matters’, echoes Unilever’s commitment to touching lives every day through its products and social missions.
Nsarkoh said: “The theme for this year’s edition, is about understanding the power in you to make choices that will determine your future. There are constraints in life that compels us to make choices but every choice we make will always come with consequences. What is most important, however, is that whatever we do, we do to the best of our ability.”
A member of the winning Team Triarchy, Uzomba Ikechukwu, described the experience as an asset that would leap the participants to greatness.
“The (Ideatrophy) competition has been a life-changing experience. We have learnt so much about working as a team to developing viable strategies for brand positioning and growth. Winning the competition is a dream come true for us and we will put in more efforts to win at the Africa region and global leg of the competition,” he said.
On her part, Human Resources Director Unilever Nigeria-Ghana, Ms. Eniola Onimole Uzomba, also spoke of the contest.
“The (Ideatrophy) competition gives us the opportunity to develop young Nigerians and Ghanaians right from the university. By connecting with undergraduates through this programme, we attract and invest in young talents that would be among some of the world’s best leaders in future,” she said.
