ARM Mutual Funds now on Cowrywise

We are pleased to announce our partnership with Cowrywise – our Mutual Funds can now be accessed on the Cowrywise platform.

This partnership gives us access to empower more individuals to fulfil their dreams and encourage them to imbibe a healthy investment habit.

Speaking on the collaboration, Henrietta Bankole-Olusina; Managing Director, ARM Financial Advisers, stated; “Our goal is to empower individuals to fulfil their dreams and encourage them to imbibe a healthy investment habit. Our range of mutual funds cater to different needs depending on their investment goal and risk profile.

The ARM suite of mutual funds is a diverse one. Its offerings fit the desires of various types of investors. Below are our current offerings.

  • ARM Money Market Fund: this is a low-risk fund that invests in instruments like treasury bills. A good fit for short term investors.
  • ARM Fixed Income Fund: like other fixed-income funds, this is a medium-risk fund. It’s a great option for medium to long term goals, as it can serve as a source of steady income.
  • ARM Ethical Fund: helps investors put their money in firms that align with a strict ethical selection.
  • ARM Discovery Balanced Fund: designed for a balance between equities and fixed income. It’s a medium-risk fund.
  • ARM Aggressive Fund: got a long-term view? This is your fund. Though high-risk, it helps your investments grow over the long term.
  • ARM Eurobond Fund: this fund gives you access to investment instruments denominated in United States’ Dollars. Also, it is excellent for protecting your investments from currency depreciation.

Today, all above-listed funds are accessible on Cowrywise with any amount and in few clicks.

Yarmirama Ashama, Product Manager at Cowrywise, described the recent partnership as an expansion of the opportunities that come with investing with mutual funds. In her words, “We cannot raise a new generation of investors alone. This is why partnerships with fund managers like ARM are important. Having them onboard feeds this vision, and we are excited about the results that will follow.”

Call For Entry: Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award 2021

The Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award (DAAYTA) is an ARM initiative in partnership with TechnoVision’s TVC Labs that aims at providing young Nigerians with an opportunity to develop innovative start-up ventures that add economic value to Nigeria.

The DAAYTA 2021 initiative is in line with ARM’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with the aim of building a generation of change leaders, working together to build a better future. It seeks to support business ideas that intentionally create positive societal impact while generating a financial return.

Due to the current global pandemic, it is important to note that the DAAYTA 2021 final event will be held virtually and applications are welcomed from all parts of Nigeria.

Click here to read about:

APPLICATION CRITERIA

To be eligible for the award, the applicant must:

  • be a citizen of Nigeria
  • be between 18 and 30 years of age
  • submit their application which must be their original work
  • have an MVP (minimum viable product) i.e. you have customers
  • be able to fund his/her/team travel expenses and other associated costs if required
  • be available (with co-founders/team where they exist) for the 2-day Pitch Workshop and Final Pitch Event scheduled for February & March, 2021
  • understand the business of ARM, what we stand for; and
  • be ready to represent ARM as an Ambassador

Deadline for December Submission: Monday, December 7th, 2020.

[button color=”undefined” hover_text_color_override=”undefined” url=”https://vc4a.com/technovision/deji-alli-arm-young-talent-award-2021/application/” text=”Apply Here” color_override=”#621a4b”]

PRIZES

The winner of DAAYTA 2021 shall, subject to the Terms & Conditions, receive funding of ₦12,000,000 (twelve million naira) over a period of one (1) year for the following purposes:

  • contribution to working capital.
  • participation in an entrepreneurial education programme at the Pan Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre in Lagos, Nigeria
  • receive a 5-month acceleration support services for the development of their venture by TVC Labs.

For more information on eligibility criteria, kindly refer to the Terms & Conditions here. You can also view the FAQs below.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Why is ARM running the Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award 2021?
The Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award (DAAYTA) programme was inaugurated by ARM in honor of its founding CEO in 2015 to promote lifelong learning by helping young Nigerian graduates and undergraduates bring ideas to life.

The initiative is in line with the Firm’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with the aim of building a generation of change leaders, working together to build a better future.
Who is eligible to participate?
To be eligible for the award, the applicant must

  • be a citizen of Nigeria
  • be between 18 and 30 years of age
  • submit their application which must be their original work
  • have an MVP (minimum viable product) i.e. you have customers
  • be able to fund his/her/team travel expenses and other associated costs
  • be available (with co-founders/team where they exist) for the 2-day Pitch Workshop scheduled for February and March 2021, AND the Winning Pitch Event scheduled for March, 2021
  • Understand the business of ARM, what we stand for; and
  • Represent ARM as an Ambassador

For more information on eligibility criteria, kindly refer to the Terms & Conditions here.

Are there focus areas for DAAYTA 2021?
We are looking for great ideas that are related to Agriculture, Education, Healthcare, Housing, and Transportation.

When is the deadline for submissions?
The deadline for submissions is Monday, December 7th, 2020.

What prize(s) does the winner of the Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award 2021 receive?
The winner of DAAYTA 2021 Programme will, subject to the Terms & Conditions, receive Funding of N12,000,000 (twelve million naira) over a one (1) year period for the following purposes:

  • contribution to working capital.
  • Participation in an entrepreneurial education programme at the Pan Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre in Lagos, Nigeria
  • receive a 5-month acceleration support services for development of their venture by TVC Labs.

The second stage of the programme will require thirty (30) shortlisted applicants to submit a POEM Framework business plan, a Marketing/pitching video, detailed profiles of their Board (Directors & Advisers), and Team members, sharing their Education, Careers, Key Accomplishments and LinkedIn profiles.

Kindly refer to the Terms and Conditionsfor more details.

Where can I view the full terms and conditions for the Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award 2021?
You can view the full terms and conditions for the Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award 2021 here.

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ARM Investment Managers bag the Investment Management Company of the Year award

ARM Investment Managers has received the 2020 investment management company of the year award and recognized for excellence in investment innovation and management expertise by International Investor Magazine. ARM Investment Managers stands tall amongst over twenty-nine (29) highly-recognized global investment management companies in this award category.

The International Investor Awards was set up to help individuals both inside and outside of the industry to nominate financial institutions and listed companies. In a survey, a vast majority of the magazine’s subscribers recommended ARM Investment Managers, highlighting the many investment opportunities the company across a number of geographical regions and business sectors.

The team at International Investor Magazine have used a wide range of criteria and multiple research platforms to inform its decision for the 2020 awards. The critical eye of experienced business journalists and judges was combined with the comprehensive information gathered by the research team.

International Investor is an online and printed journal which provides sensitive news, industry analysis and investing opportunities amongst others to a vast global subscriber base which includes institutional investors and industry leaders to name a few.

This award comes at the back of ARM’s 26th anniversary as one of Nigeria’s topmost asset management firm with superior research quality, financial advisory service, and investment management track record.

ARM Investment Managers has over the years, provided professional global asset management services across a wide spectrum of traditional and alternative investment options, including equities, fixed income securities, cash, and real estate. With a diversified client base numbering in their tens of thousands including corporations, high net-worth individuals and small savers, the company has stayed true to its promise of helping people realise their ambitions.

ARM Academy CPD Certification award

The Professional Development Consortium is home to the CPD Standards Office, the CPD Research Project and the Provider of Training Excellence. Their wealth of knowledge and research within the Learning and Development Industry and their team of industry professionals on the Expert Advisory Board are a few of the reasons that contribute to the detailed and rigorous assessment processes they have in place.

ARM Academy is proud to announce that we have recently achieved accredited CPD Status with the CPD Standards Office.

To achieve the accreditation, ARM Academy passed through a rigorous assessment process that focuses on the development and delivery of training programmes including our educational authority, how we collect and utilise our delegate feedback and ensure our content is kept up to date.

Now that ARM Academy has achieved this accreditation and status as an accredited CPD Provider, we are committed to working hard to maintain and exceed, the excellent standard we have already set.

ARM Academy was set up in 2014 with the objective to use learning and development to drive corporate strategies, innovation, develop talent and leadership and sustain the ARM culture.

ARM announces DAAYTA 2020 winner

[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]The finalists pitch event for the 2020 edition of the Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award (DAAYTA) programme held on March 6th, 2020 at Four Points by Sheraton, Lagos with Eferobosa Oguegbu of The Paper Packaging Company emerging winner to claim the N12 million grant.

DAAYTA 2020 focused on identifying start-ups with a minimum viable product (MVP) and at least one customer. Having received about 425 applications from start-up entrepreneurs and following a rigorous review process, the top 6 contestants were chosen. These six presented their pitches at the event in a bid to win the grant of N12 million – an amount that is earmarked to assist the winner to grow his/her business idea and make a sustainable social impact in the community.

The Deji Alli Young Talent Award (DAAYTA) programme is a youth awards initiative founded in 2015 by ARM in honour of its founding CEO Deji Alli. The goal of the award is to provide support to young entrepreneurs with smart and innovative ideas that have a positive impact on people’s lives and the communities that surround them.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][image_with_animation image_url=”8746″ alignment=”center” animation=”Fade In”][vc_column_text]The top 6 finalists in their order of winning at the DAAYTA 2020 were:

1. Winner – Eferobosa Oguegbu with her idea of The Paper Packaging Company which provides a biodegradable paper-based alternative that is friendly to the environment.

2. 1stt runner up – Emmanuel Ezenwere whose business idea Arone focuses on revolutionizing courier in Africa by providing a faster, cheaper and more eco-friendly delivery solution using autonomous drones.

3. 2nd runner up – Chidi Nwaogu of Publiseer which at no charge lets independent African creatives distribute their creative works on over 400 digital stores worldwide, and they receive their royalties via African tailored payment methods, which are convenient.

4. 3rd runner up – Debo Odulana with Doctoora e-Health Limited – a platform that aggregates underutilized capacity in existing medical facilities so that healthcare professionals can rent to attend to patients.

5. 4th runner up – Bright Williams of Neohaul Technologies – a company that provides an AI-powered IoT device that can be attached to trucks to figure out realtime job status/irregularities using AI algorithms.

6. 5th runner up – Ahamefula Uzoma with Livekampus Technologies – a platform that provides students with details on accommodation vacancies off-campus. It allows schools to gather off-campus housing data in real-time and provides valuable insights for stakeholders looking to explore the student housing market for investments.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][image_with_animation alignment=”” animation=”Fade In”][vc_column_text]Speaking about the event, CEO of ARM Jumoke Ogundare said “I’m glad to say that the event went successfully as envisaged and I say big congratulations to the winner Eferobosa Oguegbu of The Paper Packaging Company and all runner ups. It is our belief that they all have what it takes to make a sustainable impact in their communities and we can’t wait to start recording success stories as we have with the past winners of DAAYTA since its pilot edition in 2015. I also appreciate the entire team; sponsor and partners who have supported this initiative to enable us to achieve the aim of enabling young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas change the narrative in their various communities.”

The team of judges who delivered the sound judgment were: Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien – an Angel investor who has dedicated a major part of her life to building bridges between large businesses and entrepreneurs, helping thousands of people at the bottom of the economic pyramid (BOP) in Nigeria live better lives; Eric Idiahi, a Co-founder and Partner of Verod Capital Management Limited, a private equity firm with over $300M under management focused on making investments in West Africa; Kola Aina, founding Partner at Ventures Platform, an avid angel investor and mentor to start-up founders; Mitchell Elegbe, founder of Interswitch; Sadiq Mohammed, Deputy Group CEO of ARM Group; Folashade Olusanya, a Partner at Jackson, Etta & Edu and Victor Asemota, the Africa Partner for Alta Global Ventures, a US-based venture capital company.

DAAYTA 2020 was proudly sponsored by Tangerine Life and coordinated by TechnoVision Communications LLC.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]About ARM

Established in 1994 as an asset management firm, Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM) has evolved into one of Nigeria’s most innovative and respected non-bank financial institutions with a focus on Traditional Asset Management and Specialized Funds. ARM is a leading investment management firm that provides a diverse range of asset management services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, foundations and charities, high net-worth individuals, and small savers. See https://www.arm.com.ng/ for more details.

About Tangerine Life
Tangerine Life provides reliable financial services that create and protect wealth through digital financial solutions. By merging deep consumer insights and cutting edge technology, every product developed helps improve the quality of life for our clients.
See www.tangerinelife.com for details

About TechnoVision
TechnoVision is the brand name for TechnoVision Communications Limited a technology services company that advises clients on technology-led transformation and early-stage entrepreneurship in Africa. See http://tvcng.com/ for more details.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

LABS by ARM 2.0 Accelerator Programme Commences

The ARM Group is pleased to announce the commencement of the second cohort of the LABS by ARM Accelerator programme on the 10th of February, 2020. Similar to the maiden edition ARM is partnering with Ventures Platform to support and fund compelling fintech startups solving key problems in innovative ways around the financial industry, unlocking verticals and markets thereby changing how users access and consume financial services.

During the 12-week Accelerator programme, we will work intensively with each FinTech startup in a series of activities aimed at exponentially advancing the growth of their companies within the short time frame. We will also invest $20,000 (twenty thousand Dollars), offer office space, Amazon Web Services (AWS) credit of up to $10,000 (ten thousand Dollars), access to the ARM network capabilities and support the companies with carefully selected mentors comprising seasoned business leaders from the fintech industry who will provide hands-on support to the companies.

After the application deadline for LABS by ARM 2.0 , we had one hundred and ninety-one (191) submissions that were eventually reduced to thirty-three (33) and further reduced to eleven (11) companies after a tedious third round of evaluations. These eleven (11) companies were invited to the ARM headquarters in Ikoyi, Lagos for a chat with seasoned professionals, and technology entrepreneurs.. Finally, five (5) of the companies were selected and have now been invited into the Accelerator programme. They are:

TRUESAVER:

Truesaver provides access to zero-interest loans by leveraging rotational savings. The solution is a contact-based platform where contacts can save a set amount monthly over a period with lump-sum savings being given to each saver monthly in rotation.

OWOAFARA:

Owoafara is building tools and platforms to curate, verify and match small and medium-size businesses with financial institutions for loans as well as provide support for companies that do not qualify for financing to enable the businesses grow their business and better prepare to access financing.

RISE:

Rise helps Nigerians grow wealth by connecting customers with the best investment opportunities around the world, cheaply and seamlessly.

KWABA:

Kwaba is a property rental financing platform that is solving bulk rental payment problems for low to middle income earning Nigerians Kwaba makes the upfront rent payment for retail customers and these customers are able to pay their rent on a monthly basis.

QUANTIS FINANCE:

Quantis is leveraging technology to automate trading and investments in order to make financial markets and instruments more accessible to local investors.

Henrietta Bankole-Olusina (MD, ARM Financial Advisers)
Barbara Ezeife (Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, ARM)

ARM

Established in 1994, ARM is a leading Nigerian diversified and integrated asset management group firm that offers wealth creation solutions and opportunities through a unique blend of traditional asset management and alternative investment services to retail, high net worth and institutional investors.

ARM currently manages total assets of approximately N 1.25 trillion (as at December 2019). www.arm.com.ng

Ventures Platform

Ventures Platform is creating inclusive and sustainable wealth in Africa, by building the capacity of African entrepreneurs and innovators leveraging technology to create sustainable solutions to the most urgent problems on the continent. They are one of the most active early-stage investors on the continent.

Ventures Platform also works with big corporations in driving innovation internally and in building lasting relationships with the startup ecosystem to help fuel business growth and achieve innovation goals.
www.venturesplatform.com

Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited Invests in Trove Technologies Ltd to deliver access to global investment opportunities

Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM) is making an equity (investment) in Trove Technologies Ltd (Trove) – a micro-investing application that allows users to invest in financial securities in Nigeria and international markets.

This move is in line with the company’s dedication to leverage technology as a means to change how clients access and consume financial services.

It will be recalled that in May 2019, ARM had partnered with Ventures Platform to launch Labs by ARM which focused on supporting start-ups utilizing technology, applications, and services to solve specific problems. Trove emerged as one of the six participants in the program.

ARM will utilize the Trove application to offer her clients the opportunity of trading in Government Bonds, Stocks, US Exchange Traded Funds and Stocks of US companies. With the NYSE and NASDAQ having a market cap of $30.2 Trillion and $10.1Trillion respectively, making them the most valuable markets which have also consistently outperformed every other market, Nigerians through the use of Trove can have access to these markets.

ARM clients with the ARM Stocktrade App are able to seamlessly participate in the global economy and own shares in valuable companies such as Facebook, Lyft, Pinterest and Zoom to name a few without the need to reside in the US or have social security numbers.

The team behind Trove are repeat founders and finance professionals with experience working in companies in the financial sector such as Goldman Sachs and UBS Investment Bank. They are optimistic that Trove will address the existing bottlenecks in the Nigerian investment space such as lack of access to mature markets while giving Nigerians the chance to take control of their savings and investments.

Speaking about the partnership, Managing Director of ARM Financial Advisers Limited Mrs. Henrietta Bankole-Olusina said “We believe that this is a wonderful opportunity to enlarge the investment playing field for our valuable clients enabling them to trade in diverse stocks and accumulate wealth globally from the comfort of their homes. It is also our hope that this partnership will encourage more millennials to explore the world of investing in order to build a future of realized ambitions.”
The ARM Stocktrade App can be downloaded at the tap of a button on Google Playstore or iOS store.

ABOUT ARM
Established in 1994 as an asset management firm, Asset & Resource Management Holding Company (ARM HoldCo) offers wealth creation opportunities through a unique blend of traditional asset management and alternative investment services. ARM currently manages total assets of circa N980 billion (as at December 2018), has an AA rating from Agusto and Co. and was named Best Fund Manager, Nigeria by Capital Finance International. The Firm is regulated by the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). ARM is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria with offices across the country.

ARM Trustees bags international award for Private Trust

ARM Trustees has been recognized with an award for its contributions to Private Trust Law practice in Nigeria.

The award was given by Lawyers World, a United Kingdom-based awarding body on July 12th. 2019, named ARM Trustees in the Global Category of outstanding Private Trust law specialists following the success and growth of the Private Trust business, its international and local collaborations and several other factors taken into consideration by the voting public. The announcement was made after a comprehensive collation of thousands of voting nominations sent in from voters over a period of 12 months.

In response to this award, Mrs. Folashade Adeloye, Managing Director of ARM Trustees Limited said “We are delighted to receive this award and also accept it as a challenge to do even more in ensuring that  our clients receive the best strategies for effective estate planning. We remain focused on helping our clients preserve and enhance their wealth for generations to come.”

Established in 2001, Lawyers World Awards boasts of providing definitive guides to the world’s leading law specialists. They have awarded hundreds of outstanding law specialists from over 20 countries in various categories since 2011 in their Global and Country Law experts Categories respectively.

“Labs by ARM” Accelerator Programme Concludes on Demo Day

ARM Labs

In November 2018, ARM partnered with Ventures Platform to launch an innovation programme, Labs by ARM, focused on supporting start-ups leveraging technology, applications, and services to solve specific problems, and unlock verticals and markets thereby changing how users access and consume financial services.

As part of the Labs by ARM innovation programme, a  12-week Accelerator programme was launched in February 2019, designed to help six early and growth stage Fintech start-up companies commercialise and  grow the distribution of products and services.  The teams participated in deep-dive sessions to ascertain the health status of the start-ups and were supported to create unique strategies for solving the challenges. Programme mentors and advisors, who are thought-leaders in their field, provided support around business growth, product-market fit, and distribution; helping the start-ups navigate specific challenges.

Within the 3 months, one of the companies went live with their mobile app, another start-up grew the number of onboarded customers from 6000+ to 10,000, further securing a partnership to onboard an additional 250,000 customers. The Demo Day, signalling the end of ARM’s corporate Accelerator programme was aimed at showcasing the progress made by the six start-ups. The event was held at Impact Hub on Tuesday, 30th April 2019.

The demo day event was attended by ARM executives and members of the board of Advisors for Labs by ARM including; Africa Partner for Alta Global Ventures, Victor Asemota, CEO, Jumoke Ogundare, Deputy CEO, Sadiq Mohammed, MD, ARM Academy Uche Azubuike and MD, ARM Financial Advisers, Henrietta Bankole-Olusina. and the  They spoke about why it was important for established companies to partner with start-ups. Financial institutions, Investors and press from across the continent were also in attendance.  

HERE ARE PICTURES FROM THE EVENT

The six start-ups who presented their innovations were:

  • TROVE www.troveapp.co : Trove is a self-directed trading mobile application that allows Africans to invest in financial securities in Africa (Government Bonds, Stocks) and also in international markets (US Exchange Traded Funds & Stocks of US companies) with the tap of a button.
  • ASUSU www.asusu.ng : ASUSU is building the infrastructure for informal micro-financial services by digitizing the financial activities of low income and daily earners through cooperatives, trade groups, and agent networks and partnerships.
  • PAYDAY INVESTOR www.paydayinvestor.ng : Payday Investor is a mobile and web application that allows users to invest in ARMs money market fund, one of the most secure mutual funds in Nigeria, promising higher returns than traditional savings along with capital preservation.
  • TSARON TECHNOLOGY www.tsaron.com : Tsaron offers group insurance in a ticket through vehicle monitoring, driver monitoring and through issued passenger tickets.
  • OGARANYA www.ogaranya.ng : Ogaranya is a platform for merchants to accept orders via SMS from their users and payment over USSD. They are bridging the online-offline commerce gap.
  • FINT www.fint.ng : FINT is a loan marketplace that connects Nigerians looking for affordable credit with Nigerians, whether institutions or individual, looking for attractive returns.

ARM

Established in 1994, ARM is an asset management firm, that offers wealth creation opportunities through a unique blend of traditional asset management and alternative investment services. ARM currently manages total assets of approximately N1.1 trillion (as at December 2018)

www.arm.com.ng

Ventures Platform Foundation

“The Foundation” is the non-profit arm of Ventures Platform. The Foundation is creating Inclusive and Sustainable wealth in Africa, by building the capacity of African Entrepreneurs and Innovators leveraging technology to create sustainable solutions to the most urgent problems on the continent. Ventures Platform also works with big corporates in driving innovation internally and in building lasting relationships with the startup ecosystem to help fuel business growth and achieve innovation goals.

www.venturesplatform.com

ARM gives back with DAAYTA 2019

The Deji Alli ARM Young Talent Award (DAAYTA) by Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM) on Friday, April 12, 2019, in an event held at Four Points by Sheraton Hotels Victoria Island, Lagos announced Murtala Sani of WeSabi as the first place winner of the DAAYTA 2019 award.

A team of four distinguished judges played the pivotal role of choosing the DAAYTA 2019 award winner amongst whom are: Victor Asemota, the Africa Partner for Alta Global Ventures, a US-based venture capital company; Mitchell Elegbe, founder of Interswitch, Sadiq Mohammed, the Deputy Group CEO of ARM Group and Dr. Ndidi Nnoli-Edozien, an Angel investor and Group Chief Sustainability and Governance Officer of Dangote Group.

Murtala Sani emerged the winner from among the 6 finalists with his business proposition WeSabi and received the award worth of ₦12,000,000 to fund and grow his business. Sani’s ₦12,000,000 (twelve million naira) funding will be disbursed over a period of one (1) year to develop his business plan, complete a 5-month entrepreneurial education at the Pan Atlantic University’s Enterprise Development Centre in Lagos, Nigeria; and also to receive support for development of his venture WeSabi through an accelerator programme by a reputable entrepreneurial hub in Lagos, Nigeria.

According to Sani, the urge to make a system better drove him to start WeSabi, an initiative created to help households find reliable and pre-screened artisans in their neighbourhood through a website, mobile app and a USSD platform. It’s goal being to build Africa’s marketplace for the blue-collar sector.

In the fifth position was Oluwayomi Oyatoye of MechoMedics whose initiative aims to address the problem of poor adoption of the new Secondary School curriculum in Nigerian schools specifically in the area of implementing trade courses and entrepreneurship development.  Daniel Odediran of PrestPro came in fourth with his idea which aims to produce an energy-saving cooling system using clay for the preservation of freshly plucked tomatoes in order to extend their shelf life. Yusuf Shittu of “Jojolo” Neo Childcare bagged the third position after explaining that Neo Childcare as a mobile child health service provider seeks to provide top quality and affordable healthcare for children especially in low-income communities in Nigeria. Dare Odumade of Chekkit made the second position with his innovation which is an anti-counterfeiting, asset-tracking and consumer feedback analytics platform and tool aimed at addressing the problem of counterfeiting, pilferage and inefficient supply of products.

The DAAYTA programme which was inaugurated by ARM in honour of its founding CEO Mr Deji Alli in 2015 is part of the company’s CSR efforts to educate and empower the younger generation to make a meaningful socio-economic impact in their immediate environment and the nation at large.

DAAYTA 2019 opened for applications in November 2018 receiving over 500 applications from talented and optimistic young entrepreneurs with 20 standing out after the initial selection before the final selection of 6 candidates was made.

Speaking about the outcome of the event, Ms Uche Azubuike, the Managing Director of ARM Academy said “We are happy that this huge part of our firm’s corporate social responsibility has yet again yielded fruits by empowering a good start-up business which will have a positive impact in the environment. There is a lot going on in the ecosystem right now, a lot of support from experienced people and from technology as well. So I would advise the winners to take advantage of that and make an impact.

On behalf of ARM, I extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to Murtala Sani, all finalists and applicants; and my appreciation to our esteemed judges and everyone in attendance for their time at DAAYTA 2019.”

Lauding the DAAYTA 2019 Awards ceremony, the Tech Strategy Advisor and Founder of TechnoVision Mr Tomi Davies says “I am glad the DAAYTA Awards event was different from the traditional pitch events as we went through a thorough process to get to this final stage.  The judges were amazing as their decisions were prompt and they were aligned and as one of them said, “Even our unconscious bias was also revealed in a subtle way!”  I especially like the fact that the finalists had worked with each other before the event and bonded enough to help each other. At the end of the day, each of the 5 finalists that participated was a winner and went home with a prize and we all agreed that Murtala Sani of Wesabi deserved the first prize.”

DAAYTA 2019 Awards was proudly supported by TechnoVision Communications Limited, a technology services company with speciality in advising clients on technology-led transformation and early-stage entrepreneurship in Africa.

About ARM

Established in 1994 as an asset management firm, Asset & Resource Management Holding Company Limited (ARM) has evolved into one of Nigeria’s most innovative and respected non-bank financial institutions with a focus on Traditional Asset Management and Specialized Funds. ARM is a leading investment management firm that provides a diverse range of asset management services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes corporations, foundations and charities, high net-worth individuals, and small savers. See arm.com.ng for more details.

About TechnoVision

TechnoVision is the brand name for TechnoVision Communications Limited a technology services company which advises clients on technology-led transformation and early-stage entrepreneurship in Africa. See tvcng.com for more details.