Top row from left: Kocha, Maricha, Uracha, Turicha, Rikocha, Kyocha
Bottom row from left: Oggy, Sani

SDGs Future Business Student Contest 2024

The SDGs Future Business Student Contest 2024 is a business plan competition for university and graduate students in Japan, centered on the theme of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Participants are divided into the “Corporate Challenge Section” and the “Social Challenge Section,” where they present new business ideas aimed at solving corporate or societal issues. In 2024, five teams entered the Corporate Challenge Section and six teams entered the Social Challenge Section.

Scaleout’s Participation and the Challenge

Scaleout participated in the Corporate Challenge Section, presenting students with the theme: “Focusing on Nigeria as a model country, explore the local conditions and needs, and propose a Win-Win business plan where developing and developed countries can collaborate by utilizing the latest technology.”

Collaboration between Student Teams and a Nigerian Mentor

Six students participated in the Scaleout team: Kocha, Maricha, Uracha from Otemae University in Hyogo, and Turicha, Rikocha, Kyocha from Kyoritsu Women’s University in Tokyo (all nicknames). These members, full of individuality and enthusiasm, worked together across different regions.

Furthermore, a Nigerian intern named Sani, who is currently interning at Scaleout as a JICA-sponsored scholar (International University of Japan), supported the student teams as a mentor. Sani works for SMEDAN, a government agency in Nigeria supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and provided valuable insights into the realities of the local situation. At the time, nationwide protests were taking place in Nigeria due to widespread poverty, which highlighted numerous social issues. Together with Sani, the student team delved into the local challenges, received mentoring from Scaleout, and sought peaceful solutions, ultimately creating new business ideas.

Winning the Second Prize

On Friday, September 13, 2024, the student team presented their business plan at the contest held at “Hoops Link Kobe” in Kobe, and they successfully won the Second Prize at Corporate Challenge Section. Great job to all the students, and a big thank you to Sani for his support.

We would also like to express our deep gratitude to the organizers of the “Hyogo SDGs Open Innovation” (office: Kobe University) and everyone involved in organizing and running the event, as well as to all the participants who competed alongside each other. We hope this success will contribute to further international cooperation and co-creation at the Expo in 2025.

* Featured in Kobe Shimbun newspaper.
* Featured in Otemae University website.