Broadcasting
Application Now Open for 2023 Anzisha Prize fellowship for Young Entrepreneurs
The Anzisha Prize is a leading venture-building program championing young African entrepreneurs between the ages 15 and 22. The initiative has officially opened applications for the 2023 cohort and can be accessed on anzishaprize.org/apply.
African changemakers who are under 22 years old and are running businesses and creating employment opportunities for their peers are encouraged to apply. Thirty fellows will then be selected for a three-year fellowship and receive business consulting support, over $5000 in cash stipends and coaching services from a team of experts.
“Application season is always an exciting time for the program because we get to see how Africa’s youth are thinking innovatively to solve some of our pressing issues. For the past few years, we’ve seen an increase in Agri-Tech and Fin-tech businesses that are reshaping how we do business on the continent,” says Selection Lead, Suzan Kibirige for The Anzisha Prize. “What I enjoy most about this work is seeing how tenacious young people are. They never take no for an answer and that is what we need.”
The Three-Year Fellowship at a glance
The fellowship supports the growth of young entrepreneurs and recognises and incentivises their achievements – big and small. Through an individual and collective entrepreneurial development journey, the fellowship focuses on key areas of support: Business Development and Personal Leadership. During the fellowship, entrepreneurs will have access to a plethora of tools, resources, and experiences, and access to a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. Every six months, entrepreneurs will unlock key features such as cash stipends or experiential learning workshops and courses based on predetermined milestones they have achieved. At the end of the second year, entrepreneurs will pitch their improved business and plans for a chance to win their share of grand cash prizes valued at over $50 000.
Since 2011, Anzisha Prize, a partnership between Mastercard Foundation and African Leadership Academy, has supported and celebrated the entrepreneurial endeavours of very young people. The program alumni network includes 202 entrepreneurs who have gone on to create businesses that have transformed their communities. To date, just 130 of these fellows have created 8708 employment opportunities and have raised over $6 million in investments.
The fellowship has been an integral program in ensuring that young African entrepreneurs are celebrated and nurtured on their path to creating sustainable futures for those around them. “We encourage young job creators to apply for this opportunity and we are looking forward to championing their efforts, as creating clear pathways for young people to succeed is a core goal for Mastercard Foundation,” says Mastercard Foundation and African Leadership Academy
Some of the entrepreneurs include alumni Joan Nalubega, a Ugandan entrepreneur who has proven that social entrepreneurship can be profitable. Having grown up as an orphan and battling Malaria-related illnesses as a young woman, Nalubega established Uganics – a company that produces anti-Malaria products to combat Malaria in the country.
Another notable entrepreneur is South African Karidas Tshintsholo. Tshintsholo’s business, Khula!, is one of the most admired African startups among investors. The startup’s business-to-business (B2B) marketplace helps small-scale farmers bring their products to formal markets, by offering them cost-effective logistics services. The company has signed up more than 3000 farmers, and over 100 suppliers now work with the company.
Those selected as Anzisha Prize fellows will become members of an active and dynamic community of changemakers across Africa who are exploring how to drive, scale, and make positive and lasting change in their communities through entrepreneurship.
The Anzisha Prize program is open to young people who are running businesses operating in any sector on the continent. Prospective applicants are encouraged to apply before the closing date of 27 November 2022. Entrepreneurs are advised to download the application guide and apply for the prize at anzishaprize.org/apply.
Mr. Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, took centre stage at the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) annual end-of-year meeting on Thursday, December 18, 2025, recounting the company’s remarkable growth and reaffirming free IT training for journalists.
Tim Akano, New Horizons Chief Executive Officer, in a group photograph with NITRA Members
Speaking directly to IT media members at the company’s training facility in Lagos, Akano acknowledged the critical role journalists played in supporting New Horizons during its formative years two decades ago.
He detailed how the firm evolved from a handful of staff to one of Africa’s leading ICT skills training organisations, now employing about 500 staff across multiple training centres nationwide.
Akano Spotlights Youth Training, University Partnerships
Akano highlighted that New Horizons has trained over 500,000 youths, particularly tertiary institution students, equipping them with practical IT skills essential for Nigeria’s digital economy.
He announced recent partnerships with universities, including a new agreement with Afe Babalola University, to scale hands-on training programmes for students.
“This growth would not have been possible without the media’s support in documenting our journey,” Akano stated, pledging continued free IT skills training for media members to remain competitive in the evolving digital landscape.
Reciprocal Support Defines Long-Standing Partnership
The venue hosting the NITRA meeting underscored Akano’s generosity; NITRA Secretary Chidiebere Nwankwo secured the free facility after contacting him—a gesture consistent with New Horizons hosting multiple association events and training IT journalists since its inception 20 years ago.
Participants shared personal testimonies of Akano’s support, including veteran journalist Aaron Ukodie, whose daughter—an Accounting graduate from the University of Johannesburg—received NYSC placement and IT scholarship at New Horizons.
The Guardian’s Yemi Adeyemi recounted Akano accommodating his editor’s child for mandatory IT training after other firms declined.
Members praised Akano’s commitment to human capital development as evidence of deep appreciation for the media community that chronicled New Horizons’ success over two decades.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has launched the NIMC Pre-Enrolment Portal to revolutionise the National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment process, enabling applicants within Nigeria and in the Diaspora to capture biodata online prior to biometric verification at enrolment centres.
NIMC
Accessible via penrol.nimc.gov.ng, the platform allows users to fill enrolment forms, schedule appointments, upload supporting documents securely, and manage personal details directly, thereby slashing congestion, minimising wait times, boosting data accuracy and enhancing overall service efficiency at centres nationwide.
NIMC Director-General and CEO, Engr. (Dr) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, spearheaded the initiative as part of the Commission’s technology-driven strategy to fortify institutional performance, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda that emphasises digital transformation, efficient public service delivery and inclusive national development.
Dr Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications, highlighted key benefits including simplified biodata handling, confidential data protection through robust security measures, reduced physical centre visits and heightened operational effectiveness, urging all prospective enrollees to adopt the portal for a faster, citizen-friendly experience.[conversation_history]
The move underscores NIMC’s mandate under the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 to manage the National Identity Database, issue NINs and foster a reliable digital identity ecosystem vital for national planning, with users advised to complete pre-enrolment online before heading to selected centres for biometrics.
MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF), a Pan-African film and television training institution, has announced the opening of applications for its 2026 intake.
MultiChoice
The fully funded programme is open to African graduates aspiring to become directors, filmmakers, scriptwriters, producers and storytellers.
According to MultiChoice, the nine-month accredited curriculum combines online learning with intensive in-person training, and is designed to balance theoretical knowledge with practical immersion.
MTF academies are located in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia, and serve aspiring filmmakers from 14 African countries. Since its inception in 2018, the initiative has trained 296 filmmakers, with graduates producing more than 42 movies aired on DStv, GOtv and Showmax platforms.
Organisers said alumni of the programme have gone on to establish over 50 production companies, while many continue to work within the MultiChoice ecosystem.
Graduates have also won accolades at the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, Kalasha Awards, Uganda Film Festival and Women in Film Awards.
Applications for the 2026 intake close on Feb. 27, 2026. Interested candidates can visit https://apo-opa.co/3XW53oE for programme requirements.
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