Winner Emerges in DAAYTA Competition, Gets N12m Grant

By Emma Okonji

The finalists’ pitch event for the 2021 edition of the Deji Alli Young Talent Award (DAAYTA) programme held on April 9, 2021, has produced its winner, Tope Idris Sulaimon of Scrapays Technologies Limited, who won N12 million grant.

The winner expressed his excitement saying: “I am happy to be the winner of DAAYTA 2021. In addition to the funding, this opens more opportunities for our startup. Working with all the experienced partners increases our chances of reaching our set milestones and that excites me even more.”

The DAAYTA programme is a youth awards initiative founded in 2015 by ARM in honour of its founding CEO Deji Alli. The award’s goal is to provide support to young entrepreneurs with smart and innovative ideas that positively impact people’s lives and the communities around them.

The top six finalists were: Tope Idris Sulaimon with his idea, Scrapays Technologies Limited, a cleantech startup that uses technology to facilitate a decentralised recovery model of recyclable waste in developing nations; Eyitayo Ogunmola whose business idea is a solution called ‘The Nucleus’ because it is the brain box of every premium technology skill training; Akinse Fela Buyi of Salubata, which produces modular shoes from plastic wastes; Udebuana Oscar Obiora of Edupoint Limited, whose solution Edupoint leverages artificial intelligence to connect students with verified local teachers who deliver one-on-one lessons in any subject, or skill, to help students or learners meet their learning goals. Others are Imodoye Ayokunbi Abioro of Healthbotics whose business solution Lend An Arm encourages the easy transportation of blood using a virtual robot and a mobile application; Uche Kenneth Udekwe with Natal Cares, whose business idea seeks to bridge the healthcare information gap existing in underserved communities.

Speaking about the occasion, CEO of ARM, Jumoke Ogundare, said: “I am glad to say that the event went well, and I say a big congratulations to the winner Tope Sulaimon of Scrapays Technologies Limited and all runners up. We believe 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 our goal of enabling young entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to change the narrative in their various communities.”