Two Nigerian entrepreneurs have emerged among the winners of the second edition of the African Entrepreneurship Award, which allocates annually $1 million. Abideen Adelu won with his “Mobile application for students” while Murtula Sanni won with “Online platform for skilled workers”.

The winners were announced during the award ceremony held on Monday in Casablanca, Morocco, chaired by President Othman Benjelloun. Awards were given out in three categories: education, environment and uncharted. This event marks “a fundamental turning point for African Entrepreneurship,” the organisers said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

Among the 37 finalists who participated to the Boot Camp held in Casablanca from November 30 to December 3rd, 2016, 11 winners were selected by a presidential jury.

The list of the 11 winners is as follows:

First Place $150,000

Environment: Mahmud Johnson – Liberia – “Oil Palm products”

Education: Jennifer Shigoli – Tanzania – “Reusable Sanitary Pads”

Second Place $100,000

Environment: Ernie Aylward – South Africa “Electric mini-cabs”

Education: Abideen Adelu – Nigeria – “Mobile application for students”

Uncharted: Joyce Kyalema – Uganda – “Pumpkin food”

Pioneer Awards, $50,000

Frederico Peres da Silva – Mozambique – “Connect blue-collar, informal workers to customers”

Achiri Nji – Cameroon – “Live status updates on road conditions”

Benti Gelalcha – Ethiopia – “Veterinary Ambulatory Clinical Services”

Murtula Sanni – Nigeria – “Online platform for skilled workers”

Omar Kadiri – Morocco – “Free phone credit”

The African Entrepreneurship Award has been announced in November 2014, in Marrakesh, by Chairman Othman Benjelloun at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit, in order to promote entrepreneurship and to inspire entrepreneurs to launch and scale up businesses, create jobs and improve lives in Africa.

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