Sabi Workman has emerged as the winner of The CEO Apprentice, as BusinessDay concluded the latest edition of the six-day intensive programme designed to introduce teenagers to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation.
The programme culminated in a final pitch day won by Sabi Workman, which opened with welcome remarks from the Managing Director of BusinessDay to parents, teachers and guests. Past participants of the programme returned to share their experiences and encourage the new cohort ahead of their presentations.
Following a pitch session, six teams presented their business ideas before a panel of judges. After deliberation, the results were announced as follows:
- 1st Place: Sabi Workman
- 2nd Place: Baked Bliss
- 3rd Place: Owa
- 4th Place: Harvest Link
- 5th Place: Ecomend Africa
- 6th Place: Velora Designs
The programme brought together young minds with seasoned industry professionals, business leaders and executives across sectors including banking, law, technology, marketing and media, offering participants hands-on exposure to what it takes to build a business from the ground up.
The programme opened with sessions on startup and project ideation, led by Akintunde Marinho, CEO of Utopia Media Group; Ayeni Ekundayo, co-founder of Businessplus Agency; and Olanrewaju Onabowale, Head, Strategy and Investor Relations at Ceviant, who introduced participants to business model generation.
Feyi Olubodun, Managing Partner at Open Squares Africa, took participants through customer discovery, covering market segmentation, the 4 Ps of marketing and market research. Oghenevwoke Ighure, Managing Director of BusinessDay Media, led a team collaboration exercise using the Marshmallow Challenge, giving participants a hands-on lesson in teamwork under pressure.
On the second day, Lola Oyeka, Country Head of Public Affairs at Citibank Nigeria Limited, guided participants through presentation skills and pitching. Tolagbe Martins, a strategy and communication professional, covered marketing and competitive strategy, while Tomi Wale, Creative Director at GetUp Inc., led a session on branding and logo design. Yinka Aworetan, Country Manager at CEIBS Nigeria, closed the day with a building session on leading and retaining winning teams.
Subsequent sessions covered branding and communication with Oyinkansola Adeboye, Head, Brand & Communication at Zedcrest Group; the legal environment of business with John Oladapo, an Associate at AO2LAW; and AI in business with Jonathan Enudeme, Founder and CEO of Zummit Africa Limited. Joshua Adeniyi and Opeoluwa Filani, Founder of Hoardings Africa, each led sessions on team collaboration and project work.
Participants also learned about networking as a strategic tool from Chinasa Collins-Ogbuo, Lead & Head, Inclusion for All at EFInA; customer service essentials from Weyinmi Oritsejafor, Managing Director of Nigeria Passport Legacy; and leveraging technology and innovation from Samora Akinbulumo, Product Lead at Sparkle.
The programme featured fireside chats offering participants direct access to senior executives. Olalekan “Lekan” Olabode, Corporate Sales Manager at Citibank Nigeria, and Rolayo Akhigbe, Senior Vice President at Citibank Nigeria leading Financial Institutions Sales across Nigeria and Ghana, fielded questions from participants in a session moderated by Linda Ochugbua, Digital Sales Manager at BusinessDay.
In a separate mentorship session, Nneka Enwereji, MD/CEO of Citibank Nigeria Limited, shared reflections on leadership and career growth in a conversation hosted by Oghenevwoke Ighure.
BusinessDay launched the CEO Apprentice in 2016, and it ran continuously from 2016 to 2019 before taking a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent edition is the fifth.
Over 200 people have graduated from the programme over the years, and many of them are now entrepreneurs. The long-term effects of the programme on the young brains who go through it are demonstrated by the fact that former participants have gone on to study at universities like Oxford and that some have been highlighted on international platforms like CNN.
The CEO Apprentice by BusinessDay continues to provide teenagers with early exposure to entrepreneurship, equipping them with practical skills in ideation, strategy, branding and pitching, and connecting them with mentors and industry leaders positioned to guide their future ambitions.
