StarNews Mobile and the Global Black Economic Forum (GBEF) have announced a call for applications for the launch of their Business Competition in Lagos, Nigeria which seeks to empower Nigeria’s most promising businesses that are classified as Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with invaluable investment and partnership opportunities from the United States. The competition held in partnership with MTN and the United Nations Agency for International Development (USAID), will offer a platform for emerging entrepreneurs to showcase their ventures and gain national visibility over 10 weeks between April 8 to June 14, 2024. It will be hosted exclusively
Launched in 2017, StarNews Mobile empowers African content creators with the unique opportunity to monetize their work through a subscription model, boasting over 4 million subscribers and a thriving community of more than 120 content creators. With a strong presence across six countries including Cameroon, Nigeria, Côte D’Ivoire, Congo, Benin and Ghana, the platform has also established key partnerships with major telecom operators such as MTN and Orange.
To-date, StarNews Mobile has secured over $8mn in funding with its most recent raise – a $3mn pre-Series A funding round in October 2023 – led by Janngo Capital with participation from French football players Aurélien Tchouaméni, Jules Koundé and Mike Maignan.
We are excited to announce the launch of the Starnews Business Competition, designed to empower and elevate SME’s in Nigeria.
Supported by MTN, USAID, and GBEF, this competition aims to provide funding, support, mentorship, and collaboration opportunities to help SMEs thrive.
Eligibility Criteria
- Business should be at least 50% Nigerian-owned and operated.
- Business should be registered in Nigeria with a valid CAC.
- Business activities should be mainly taking place in Africa
- Must have a web/social presence with a minimum of 1,000 followers
- Have been in a formal business for at least 2 years and have at least 2 years of consecutive turnover
- Generate positive impacts for Africa by contributing directly to SDGs.
Benefits
- Mentoring
- Funding
- Partnerships
Access to socio-economic development tools through the Global Black Economic Forum.
Participants also have the potential to win cash prizes worth up to NGN5,000,000 from StarNews,
Gain access to StarNews’s network of investors, and achieve national visibility by having their business featured on the StarNews web platform.
The top three winners will receive coaching from GBEF’s Academy for Advancing Excellence and become part of GBEF’s ecosystem of global leaders dedicated to social and economic justice across the Black Diaspora
Deadline: April 5th 2024
Apply here
Also Apply:
- The FGN-ALAT Digital Skillnovation Program Cohort 2 for young Nigerian MSMEs
- Mandela Rhodes Scholarship for Young African Changemakers 2025 |Fully Funded
- The African Liberty Writing Fellowship Program 2024/2025 for young Africans
- Lagos State Employability Trust Fund/ United States African Development Foundation (LSETF/USADF) employability program