By Mahdi Waziri Isa
Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) in Zaria hosted a successful enterprise pitch competition on Saturday, September 6, 2025, with student-led ventures winning a total of ₦2.25 million in investment prizes.
The event, titled “ICERFE Student Enterprise Pitch 2.0,” was organized by the International Centre of Excellence for Rural Finance and Entrepreneurship (ICERFE) and attracted more than 300 student teams. After a rigorous selection process, 20 teams were chosen for UNDP Cohort 1, with the top 10 advancing to the final pitching round.
Beacon Aromatics emerged as the overall winner, receiving ₦1 million. Miemie’s Wears secured second place with ₦750,000, while PathPilot took third place with ₦500,000. Seven other finalists were each awarded ₦200,000 and certificates to support their business ventures.
In his welcome address, ICERFE Director Dr. Idris Bashir Bugaje encouraged students to prioritize entrepreneurship, congratulating the winners and noting that the prize money would serve as seed funding. He added that the centre would monitor the progress of winning ventures to ensure proper utilization of the funds.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, represented by the Director of the Distance Learning Centre, Prof. M.B. Mua’zu, commended ICERFE for the initiative and praised the participating students for their efforts.
Keynote speaker Mr. Hamma Bala Francis, Founder and CEO of Charis Trading Floor Ltd, urged students to shift from a job-seeking to a job-creation mindset. He described the traditional 9-to-5 job as “modern-day slavery” and encouraged students to pursue their passions with determination.
The Deputy Director of ICERFE, Dr. Hamisu Mohammed Ya’u, expressed gratitude to the university management, judges, and attendees for their support in making the event a success.