A non-governmental organisation (NGO), Nigeria Hype Awards (NHA), has appealed to government and corporate bodies to support platforms that will promote innovations and creative thinking in the minds of youths.
Solomon Olumide, Founder, Nigeria Hype Awards (NHA) with his assistant, Miss Mercy Emmanuel during the 3rd NHA awards in Ikeja GRA
TBI Africa.com says Its founder, Solomon Olumide, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that this would help in discovering future talents.
Olumide said that sponsorship and creating an enabling environment were key to sustaining platforms where brilliant minds could be discovered.
He said this was the brain behind the third edition of the NHA awards held on Saturday night at Jevinik Centre in Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
“The inventors of great innovations of the world started their breakthroughs in those fields when they were students.
“Our students, therefore, deserve to be celebrated because they always excel in various fields such as: arts, music, media, fashion, entertainment and sports
“So, I believe if we continue to encourage our students in their different fields of expertise, one day, Nigerians that will invent great things like Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg had invented will emerge,” he said.
The entrepreneur said that the NHA was an award-event platform aimed at celebrating Nigerian students and youths in various fields.
He, however, said that a major challenge he faced in organising the awards was its poor acceptance by the public because it is still relatively new in the entertainment industry.
Olumide said that most of the funds he spent were generated from the sales of tickets, table reservations and online voting platform where the winners of the awards used to emerged.
“We have successfully had two editions in the past years respectively and I believe once you are passionate about what you are doing , you keep on growing despite the challenges.
“If you remain consistent with the same thing you are doing on annual basis, you will surely improve on the act.
“The first edition of the NHA event was held in Ilorin for the purpose of celebrating creative minds in schools who were not recognised in order to encourage such innovations in them.
“Since then, it has continued to grow into a passion.
“However, NHA has taken a step further by recognising creativity in other aspects of the creative industry,” he said.
Some of the awaerdee: (L-R) Pope da Black, Sifon Ediomo-Abasi, Davpee Crown and Ajanaku Rilwan
Mr Peter Adewale a.k.a. ‘Davpee Crown’ a student of the Lagos State Polytechnic (Laspotech) who won the Student Comedian of the Year category, said that he felt excited to be recognised for his skill in humour.
“It takes a lot of intelligence to fuse the reality of life into a relaxing soothing context to be presented humorously to the public.
“This is an auspicious year for comedians to shine because a comedian was recently elected the President of Ukraine. So, we have potential,” he said.
Miss Sifon Ediomo-Abasi, a student of Yaba College of Technology ( Yabatech) also won the Student Entrepreneur of the Year award.
She said that she felt good to be recognised as an up- and-coming fashion brand with potential.
She said that ‘Sifon Fashion Republic’ her fashion brand started four years ago.
NAN reports that other awardees in the student category include: Pope Da Black from the Lagos State University ( LASU) who emerged the publicist of the year.
Also, the best user of social media award went to Ajanaku Olakunle, a.k.a. “Lakes” from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB).
Also, Afe Emmanuel from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) emerged the blogger of the year.
The model of the year award for the male category went to Honest Manuel from the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede.
The model of the year award for the female category went to Adiani Blessing from the University of Pointsrt Harcourt.
Also, the poet and writer of the year award went to Olusegun Nwachukwu from Babcock University.
