The Nestlings Playbook Launches Call for “Applications”
Africa’s youths account for over 65% of its population and this alludes to the potential of their responsibility to reduce poverty and improve economic prosperity. This is because Africa’s prosperous potential will be best explored by harnessing her greatest asset to build a prosperous economy; her youth.
The youths need to awaken to this responsibility, because of the multidimensional nature of the poverty characterised by;
- The high cost of social mobility
- The incapacity of economic, social and political systems to provide adequate supply of opportunity to meet the growing demand
- The paradox of large populations and shrinking markets.
Taking Nigeria as a case study, the nation has a significant population of youths, with a median age of 18. Nearly half of the population, 42%, are below the age of 15, while a significant 70% are under the age of 30.
From this analysis, Nigeria has the potential to be Africa’s and the world’s regional economic hub due to its size and youthful population. Now, because population increase and urbanisation go hand in hand and economic development is closely correlated with urbanisation, a young, large population may be an economic asset if utilised properly.
This decade, the global economy is being redesigned into a digital one and Africa must play an active role in shaping the conversation, since word out there is that Africa would be the most populous youthful continent by 2050
The Nestlings playbook project’s primary goal is to harness this asset, from its fundamental source — the Nigerian Universities.
The Undergraduate community; The honey-pot of potential
The most sustainable path to creating a transformative economy is through the undergraduate community. The Nestling Playbook project aims to build an economy distinguished by inclusiveness and sustainable growth motivated by the culture of innovation.
One in which every stakeholder has a distinct role to play in this economic environment, where society (Social) drives enterprise innovation. This whole approach is known as solving the economics of the market before exploring the business of the market.
In creating this transformative economy, a human-centred approach is crucial as stressed by Toyin Bamidele (Batel) — the champion of this project.
In his words “Funding people before funding projects is the model for a transformative economy. Investing in capacity building to transform human resources into human capital is a major feature of a transformative economy. Funding people working on market-creating innovations is how we achieve sustainable development” — Batel.
This human-centred approach is also essential in bridging the gap between individuals who strive to create, build and produce and have no market for their business case. Because the people they are developing for either cannot afford it or access it. That is why, a core premise for this theory of economic prosperity is hinged on market-creating innovations as described in the book; The Prosperity Paradox, Authored by Clayten Christensen, Karen Dillon and Efosa Ojomo.
To unlock Africa’s prosperous economy through the digital economy is to build a bridge between talented young people who can build solutions that can transform Africa’s large informal economy to an active segment of the digital economy. A great percentage of these talented young individuals who have the potential to innovate, build and produce are found in undergraduate communities, universities in particular. The Nestlings Playbook project describes these individuals as ‘Founders’.
The creation of an enabling environment where these ‘Founders’ are incentivized to innovate is urgently needed as this will foster national economic prosperity. Rising from the undergraduates’ immediate environment to all parts of Nigeria and Africa at large. We are specific about exploring these theory through the undergraduate community because of two reasons:
- We believe that the undergraduate community is the next frontier for creating economic prosperity
- The informal economy is resident in the local communities hosting these University communities
Hence the logical next step to build a bridge between the University community and the informal economy of the communities hosting them, by incentivizing founders to build market-creating innovations through digital entrepreneurship.
The Call for Applications
Founders are individuals in undergraduate communities with the potential to develop innovative, global solutions that are adapted and tailored to our particular local narrative. In achieving this, they are at an advantage because they don’t require excess resources to build and launch.
With an enabling environment, they can develop innovations for underserved markets and the non-consumer class that would significantly alter the layout of our economic system.
The Nestlings Playbook project’s ‘Call for applications’ is a signal to alert and direct these founders to apply and gain access to this much-needed environment and system.
An environment that encourages innovation and the creation of solutions to the problems with access, time, money, and talent that the underserved markets and non-consumers face. In this system, founders have access to mentorship, support and capital.
The Nestlings Playbook Project will assist and incentivize bright members of the undergraduate community to consider their potential as founders of startups that have a positive economic impact and can successfully compete in the defined markets they aim to serve.
The Time is now
The ‘Call for applications’ is open and founders can apply. Applications run till the 20th of May.
Founders who apply to this will enjoy premium these benefits:
- Collaboration with like-minded individuals
- Operational resources like cloud infrastructure, Ad credits and related, provided by our strategic partners etc.
- Infrastructure support: Co-working space & Office
- Access to Market: University Communities
- Visibility through our Media and Media partnerships
- Portfolio Support: Legal services, funding, Networking, venture-building support, etc.
- Exposure to industry experts and venture capitalists who can invest financially in their ideas to create solutions to Africa’s problems and build an inclusive and sustainable economy for Africa.
- And funds of $5-$15,000 to run their startups.
The ‘Call for Applications’ Roadmap
Founders who apply for the ‘Call for applications’ will have their applications reviewed after which all applicants would be hosted in a bootcamp.
After the bootcamp, the best and most qualified candidates from each of the 15 universities will be invited for an exclusive interview.
After the interviews, candidates who make it up to the next stage will be engaged in an ideathon challenge.
This will lead to the selection of finalists to pitch at the grand finale event where the best 4 ideas from the 15 universities would compete for $5000 to $15,000 and access into the Nestlings Incubator.
N.B: Selected finalists in this event will go through an Incubation phase which will run for 3–4 months, and also stand to enjoy all the benefits as stated earlier with a support period structure after the incubation if they make it to the end.
Do you qualify?
Are you able to think critically and solve problems?
Do you have the ability to create solutions using tech and innovation?
Do you have good teamwork and networking skills?
If you possess these qualities, then the ‘Call for Applications’ is for you.
FAQs
Do I need to be a programmer to apply for this?
No, you don’t need to be a programmer. But it would give you an advantage
Do I need to have a startup brand to apply?
No, you don’t need to have a startup brand to apply. But you can still apply if you already have a startup you are building
All you need is some founder’s skill and DNA to participate.
The application is free.
As well, Founders in universities that are not expressly listed can also submit their applications.
Apply through this link:
https://bit.ly/NestlingsCFA2023
Join other founders in undergraduate communities to know more about our updates, follow all our social media handles below;
Twitter: TheNestlings_ng
Instagram: thenestlings_ng
Linkedin: TheNestlings_ng
And of course, follow our medium page too!
