Sekofia from Nigeria wins BeChangeMaker 2024

Five teams of young social entrepreneurs burst onto the global stage today, pitching their ideas to a panel of judges in front of an international audience. Each finalist was vying for the top spot in BeChangeMaker 2024, but only one team could be successful – Sekofia.

Presenting live in front of delegates at WorldSkills Conference 2024, and to viewers around the world, the teams had five minutes to explain their idea and show how their innovation would tackle a critical social or economic challenge. It was culmination of three months of intensive mentorship, training, and preparation.

The judges decided that Sekofia’s solution – a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that connects patients, healthcare providers, and insurance companies to streamline insurance processes – set them apart in a field of exceptional candidates. Founded by Nigerian students Ochong Johnson Aduma and Nino Chibuzor Nwachukwu from the African Leadership University in Rwanda, Sekofia has designed a way to digitized health insurance while reducing the administrative load by up to 90 per cent. Testing has also shown its potential to reduce patient time-to-care by up to 95 per cent.

Ochong shared, “Getting to this point has been an amazing journey over a couple of months. It is a remarkable achievement for us, and the experience has been incredible. Now, we are looking forward to joining the BeChangeMaker alumni network, as well as getting access to the resources that UNESCO-UNEVOC, HP Foundation, and WorldSkills International will provide.”

Nino said, “The next step for us is to double down on what we have, continue our product development, and then we are hoping to launch by the end of this year. We can start scaling from there, across Nigeria and many more countries in Africa.”

Second place went to RiceUP, and third place went to Planet Plus from Kenya.

RiceUP is an environmentally friendly alternative to food packaging in the booming delivery market developed by Lam Quynh Nguyen, Linh Khanh Nguyen, and Dat Dang Nguyen, three university students from Vietnam’s growing hospitality sector. Dat says, "BeChangeMaker 2024 has enabled us to make a meaningful impact by leaving sustainable footprints on the world. Through HP LIFE’s invaluable resources, including startup tools and coaching, we have taken crucial steps forward.”

After the votes were counted, the five inspirational finalists ranked as follows:

1. Sekofia – Nigeria
2. RiceUP – Vietnam
3. Planet Plus – Kenya
4. Team Holly – Colombia
5. Care Plug – Zimbabwe

Each team will receive EUR 1,000 worth of post-programme coaching, with the top three teams awarded an additional EUR 2,000 to further develop their concepts.

BeChangeMaker 2024 is a collaborative initiative between WorldSkills and the HP Foundation attracting a growing number of social entrepreneurs. This year, a record-breaking 715 teams from 83 countries and regions applied.

Grace Lung, Senior Manager of Partnership Programmes at WorldSkills International, shared her enthusiasm saying, “The talent and dedication displayed by this year’s finalists have been truly inspiring. Each team has shown remarkable growth throughout the programme, and their pitches today were nothing short of exceptional. We are so pleased for Sekofia, and all the teams serve as outstanding role models for aspiring young entrepreneurs worldwide.”

Find out more about our five innovative finalists or watch their inspiring final pitches.

WorldSkills Lyon 2024

WorldSkills Lyon 2024, 10 to 15 September, is the world’s largest international skills competition, featuring 1,400 Competitors from almost 70 countries and regions. The 47th WorldSkills Competition showcases excellence in young skilled talent, while also bringing industry, education, and government leaders together to move skills to the top of the global agenda. WorldSkills is highlighting the critical role skills play in addressing global challenges, boosting economies and industries, and promoting excellence.