Mohammed Shosanya
The Sahara Group Foundation,the social impact vehicle of energy conglomerate, Sahara Group, has officially flagged off its Making A Difference Around Africa (MADAA) initiative aimed at giving weight to the aspirations of African entrepreneurs.
At the unveiling of MADAA in Lagos,Chidilim Menakaya, Head of Programs at Sahara Group Foundation, said the initiative was in line with the company’s overarching transformative Extrapreneurship model.
It also promises sustainable economic opportunities to its target demography, which are budding entrepreneurs with remarkable business ideas,she said.
She added:“MADAA is a strategic platform developed by Sahara Group Foundation to identify entrepreneurs and social innovators who are on the cusp of greatness and provides the much-needed impetus to scale their novel ideas, as well as their small businesses, to great heights.”
She explained that the launch of the MADAA initiative underscores Sahara Group Foundation’s unwavering commitment to “building sustainable communities through Extrapreneurship,” and represents the first project amongst an array of curated social interventions designed to promote sustainable development in Africa “by growing and scaling the base of entrepreneurs who have exceptional ideas that can transform the continent’s economic fortunes.”
Open till the end of November 2024, application to MADAA is now underway, with beneficiaries expected to ultimately leverage the platform to assume leadership and influential roles in their various business niches,according to her.
“We are actively on the lookout for the extraordinary,the unusual, those whose business ideas can be nursed to fruition sustainably, particularly with the deployment of locally occurring resources.Entrepreneurs desirous of moving their craft to the next level need to head to :www.saharagroupfoundation.org to apply for MADDAA right away”, Menakaya emphasized.
Shortlisting of candidates commences in December ahead of the final selection of beneficiaries to feature on the actual program which starts in Q1 of 2025.
Besides,MADAA beneficiaries will have access to a robust suite of resources, including financial and investment support worth 100 million USD and mentorship from seasoned industry experts.
MADAA’s launch comes amid Sahara Group Foundation’s drive for inclusiveness and progressive partnerships that promote expansion, business advisory, and capacity development in the Medium Small and Micro Enterprises (MSMEs) sector across the continent.
“MADAA seeks to support African home-grown innovations and businesses to succeed, scale and thrive sustainably, thereby establishing an integrated ecosystem of collaborators actively contributing toward transforming economic development in Africa,”she added.