…We’re committed to Nigerian Entrepreneurs, airline says
Posted By Sade Williams
Virgin Atlantic has launched a new consumer campaign in Nigeria showcasing Nasir Yammama and Sophia Ike-Onu, the two winners of the Virgin Atlantic and British Council enterprise challenge.
The Enterprise Challenge was launched in 2014 as an online competition developed by the British Council Nigeria, and Virgin Atlantic to help young Nigerians reach for the sky.
The competition, according to the airline, provides a platform for young, brilliant entrepreneurial minds to further develop their skills and businesses.
It’s the Virgin Atlantic entrepreneurial spirit, the drive and ambition that lives inside all Nigerians and that has never been more true than for Nasir Yammama and Sophia Ike-Onu.
Commenting on the initiative, Sir Richard Branson, Founder and Chairman Virgin Group, said:
“Virgin Atlantic is delighted to have supported the Enterprise Challenge program dedicated to supporting young Nigerian entrepreneurs and fostering new ideas. Innovation has been an important part of Virgin’s heritage and I was pleased to see so many young Nigerians keen to embrace new ideas through the competition.”
Nasir Abdulqadir Yammama, a postgraduate student at Middlesex University in London, won with a business plan for a mobile phone app called Verdant to help crop farmers.
Speaking on the development, Nasir said: “The Enterprise Challenge has been a remarkable competition which I thoroughly enjoyed. I believe it has not only developed my skills but exposed me to a whole new way of looking things from writing to pitching and presentation.
“The calibre of people I have been able to interact and network with is the absolute thing every aspiring entrepreneur and innovator wishes to associate with. Meeting Sir Richard Branson was a priceless opportunity that I will continue to value immensely. I have been able to acquire so much wisdom and inspiration that I feel ready and bound to exceed all expectation”, he said.
Nasir has gone on to be named as one of the Forbes 30 under 30 and the 27 year old recently received the young leader’s award from Queen Elizabeth II.
The Stylish and Glamourous Sophia Ike-Onu was also a first place winner in the competition. Sophia is an architect by trade who founded The5kshop.com, which is the primary shopping destination for quality fashion pieces priced below N5,000.
Her foray into business extends beyond The5kshop into other interests in food services, real estate and transportation
“Nasir and Sophia are shining examples of hard work paying off and Virgin Atlantic is proud to be a part of their journey and is thrilled to showcase them to Nigeria as part of our entrepreneur campaign. You will be able to see Nasir and Sophia on billboards, magazines and your computer and mobile screens all across Nigeria. Virgin Atlantic is proud to help Nigerian Entrepreneurs take off, every day”, the airline says.
Virgin Atlantic was founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson 33 years ago with innovation and customer service at its core. Today Virgin Atlantic carries 5.5 million customers annually, and was recently named the UK’s favourite long haul carrier by Skytrax.
Headquartered in London, Virgin Atlantic employs over 9000 people worldwide and operates a fleet of 39 aircraft serving 26 destinations across four continents. Alongside joint venture partner Delta Air Lines they operate the leading transatlantic network – offering up to 39 flights per day between the UK and US with onward connections to over 200 US and international cities.
This year, Virgin Atlantic will become the first airline in Europe to be fully Wi-Fi connected, and in 2019 will take delivery of their first Airbus A350-100 aircraft – helping to transform the fleet into one of the quietest and most fuel efficient in the sky.