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Wellahealth’s Ikpeme Neto Among Africa’s Business Heroes Finalists

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The founder of Nigeria’s Wellahealth Technologies, Mr Ikpeme Neto, has been selected among the top 10 finalists of Africa’s Business Heroes Prize Competition, the philanthropic programme sponsored by Chinese billionaire, Mr Jack Ma.

The foundation, now in its fifth year, announced this year’s finalists after an intense round of semi-finale business pitches and judging held on September 1 and 2 at Norrsken House in Kigali, Rwanda.

Mr Neto will be among these 10 entrepreneurs who will compete for their share of the final prize of $1.5 million in grant funding at the competition’s grand finale scheduled for November 23 and 24, 2023.

He will compete against the likes of Ms Bola Bardet, CEO and co-founder, Susu (Benin); Mr Ayman Bazaraa, CEO and co-founder, Sprints (Egypt); Mr Andrew Takyi-appiah, founder, Zeepay Ghana Limited (Ghana); Ms Christina Gyisun, CEO and co-founder, Sommalife Limited (Ghana) and Mr Thomas Njeru, CEO and co-founder, Pula Advisors Limited (Kenya).

Others include Mr Ismael Belkhayat, CEO and founder, Chari (Morocco); Mr Albert Munyabugingo, CEO and co-founder, Vuba Vuba Africa Limited (Rwanda); Ms Nthabiseng Mosia, CMO and co-founder, Easy Solar (South Africa); and Mr Theo Baloyi, CEO and founder, Bathu (South Africa).

In a statement seen by Business Post, the organisers said the entrepreneurs were selected through multiple stages of interviews and evaluation from 27,267 applications across all 54 African nations. They hail from eight African countries, including Benin, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, and South Africa.

These start-ups have been drawn from a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, education & training, energy, financial services, healthcare, manufacturing and retail.

The 10 finalists will present their businesses on stage to a panel of inspiring businesspeople at this year’s Grand Finale, which will take place in conjunction with a summit and will be the biggest in ABH’s history in celebration of the fifth anniversary of the competition.

Speaking on this, Mr Jason Pau, Executive Director of International Programs at the Jack Ma Foundation, said, “ABH remains committed to uncovering, championing, and supporting trailblazing African entrepreneurs who are bringing positive change to their communities. As we reach the fifth anniversary of our 10-year commitment to this initiative, we’re excited by the expanding and diverse array of talent among our contenders.

“With November on the horizon, we wish every one of the top 10 finalists the best of luck on their journey, and we encourage the public to join our Summit and Grand Finale, as it promises to be truly special.”

Adding her input, Ms Rene Parker, co-founder and CEO of RLabs, ABH semi-finale judge (2019 – 2023), said the ABH competition has shown that African entrepreneurship can emerge as a potent force propelling social upliftment and economic progress.

“It is a dynamic stage, spotlighting ingenious start-ups that steer toward solutions, tackling challenges with a resonance that’s impactful, competitive, sustainable, and additive. I believe that entrepreneurs are carriers of HOPE as they can unlock possibilities that can change the world. I look forward to the Grand Finale, where the top 10 finalists will demonstrate their remarkable business acumen on stage.”

The event will be held offline in Kigali, Rwanda, on November 23 and 24 and also partially livestreamed to reach audiences across Africa. The event will comprise exciting sessions, including speeches, workshops, an entrepreneurial showcase, and a live pitch competition, among other activities.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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AAN Seeks Swift Government Actions on Albinism Related Health Crisis

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Albinism Association of Nigeria (AAN) has intensified its call for swift actions by government and policymakers over the escalating health crisis facing persons with albinism (PWAs) in Nigeria.

The call came as the world marked World Cancer Day on February 4, 2025 under the theme United by Unique.

In a statement signed by the president of the association, Mrs Bisi Bamishe, the group said, “Our people are dying in silence, with little to no awareness of the immense health challenges we endure, particularly the devastating impact of skin cancer.

“Despite our continuous advocacy efforts, the plight of persons with albinism remains largely unaddressed, and the consequences are dire. Within just a few days, we have lost three of our beloved members to this ravaging disease.”

The group highlighted the graveness of the issue, adding that, many others are battling for their lives without access to proper medical care.

“The grim reality is that the community of persons with albinism in Nigeria is under siege, and urgent action is required to prevent further loss of lives.”

AAN used the calender event to call on the government across several tiers to join the fight and improve their inputs.

“The absence of structured government interventions, including access to free or subsidized skin cancer treatments, preventive measures such as sunscreen distribution, and specialized dermatological care, has left our community in a state of despair. Without immediate action, we will continue to witness the preventable deaths of our members,” the group lamented.

“We call on the federal, state, and local governments, the legislative arms at all levels, well-meaning individuals, local and international donors, and relevant stakeholders to stand with us in the fight against this dreaded disease,” it added.

It also noted that it has not rested on its oars with it’s multiple approach to raise awareness about the pressing health needs of persons with albinism.

“We have engaged policymakers, health authorities, and legislators, urging them to implement sustainable policies that will ensure access to affordable healthcare, routine skin cancer screening, and the provision of lifesaving treatments for affected persons.

“However, the time for mere discussions has passed. We need tangible, swift, and decisive actions to save lives,” the group added.

The association lauded the efforts and responsiveness of the Lagos State government and called on other states to follow in its footsteps.

“We must acknowledge the efforts of some state governors, development partners and NGOs that have done a lot for us. Special appreciation goes to Lagos State Government that has spent over N20 million on skin cancer patients in the last two years as well as provision of sunscreen, hats and umbrellas. We hope other states can follow suit as much as possible.”

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Nigeria Tightens Surveillance at Entry Point Amid Fresh Ebola Outbreak

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigeria has tightened surveillance measures at entry points in the country owing to a fresh outbreak of Ebola disease in Uganda.

Last week, the Ugandan Ministry of Health confirmed the outbreak of the disease with one death and has now followed up with forty-four contacts.

With the latest development, the Director-General of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Mr Jide Idris, in an advisory said although Nigeria has not recorded any outbreak of the disease, it is putting in place preventive measures.

“There are no cases of Ebola virus disease in Nigeria. However, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in collaboration with relevant Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and Partners through the National Emerging Viral Hemorrhagic Diseases (EVHD) Technical Working Group, continues to monitor disease occurrence and has initiated measures to strengthen our preparedness in the country.

“These include the update of our EVD emergency contingency plan, heightened surveillance especially at the points of entry, and optimizing diagnostic capacity for EVD testing in designated laboratories in cities with international airports of entry and the National Reference Laboratory. In addition, all Lassa Fever testing laboratories can be activated to scale up testing if the need arises.”

According to the NCDC DG, there are no Ebola vaccines in Nigeria at the moment.

“There are vaccines and therapeutics available for some strains of the Ebola virus. The approved vaccine for the Zaire species (EBV) is not currently available in the country but can be obtained from the WHO Afro and does not protect against the Sudan virus,” he said.

However, the NCDC boss said, “Early recognition, isolation of patients, and initiation of supportive treatment, implementing infection and control measures in health facilities and homes, tracing and monitoring of contacts, and safe burial practices, significantly reduce morbidity and the probability of death.”

Ebola disease is a severe, and often fatal disease caused by the Ebola virus. It is transmitted to humans via contact with wild animals and spreads through human-to-human transmission via direct contact with bodily fluids of infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.

Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, muscle pain, headache, vomiting, diarrhoea, internal and external bleeding. It may appear 2 to 21 days after infection. Medical expertise are advised by the NCDC, in regard to this disease.

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i3 Shifts 3rd Cohorts Focus to Growth-Stage Healthtechs After Trump’s Orders

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Investing in Innovation Africa (i3), a pan-African initiative to support African health-tech startups to commercialise and scale their offerings has decided to make a pivotal change to its third cohort selection to prioritise the immediate support for 5-7 growth-stage companies building the future of pharmacy care in Africa.

This comes after the US State Department’s “stop-work” directive for foreign aid issued on January 25, which is anticipated to impact the distribution of essential medicine in Africa’s healthcare supply chains.

President Donald Trump issued the executive order freezing US foreign development assistance for 90 days upon assuming office.

One of the affected by the order is the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which offers humanitarian and development assistance to other countries, primarily by giving fundings to non-governmental organisations, governments, and others. USAID is crucial in combating HIV/AIDS and other health matters.

According to a statement shared with Business Post on Monday, i3 says the order highlights and intensifies the need for locally-driven, market-creating approaches to health product distribution and service delivery across Africa.

So now the programme funded by the Gates Foundation, MSD, Cencora, Endless Foundation, HELP Logistics (a subsidiary of the Kühne Foundation), Sanofi’s Global Health Unit and Chemonics, will concentrate its immediate efforts on helping innovative growth-stage startups unlock major partnerships to rapidly expand access to patient care.

Fifteen leading startups will be selected for this cohort including 10 early-stage startups innovating in healthcare delivery or product distribution and five growth-stage startups building the future of pharmacy care.

Early-stage startups will receive a $50,000 grant and growth-stage startups will receive a $225,000 grant to unlock major partnerships that can expand patient access across the continent.

For startups in the cohort,  i3 aims to facilitate at least 150 relationships with key healthcare organizations, worth at least $30M,  which will expand patient access while creating valuable local jobs.

Entries for the 3rd cohort are open until February 28 after which the selected startups will be announced on April 30.

Launched in 2022, i3 has empowered 60 African health innovators across 16  countries, exceeding expectations with 43 per cent women-led and 20 per cent Francophone-led ventures.

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