Stories

Ye! Community: Innovation, hope and the future

5 June 2020
ITC News

A young Nigerian redefines innovation during COVID-19

The promise

Adeloye Olanrewajo, fondly called Lanre, is a young Nigerian entrepreneur.

The 27 year old inspires everyone with his dynamism and drive.

In 2015, Lanre developed a healthtech platform called Babymigo. Babymigo is breaking down barriers by providing access to health information and care in Nigeria for expectant and new mothers. Building on his experience in getting information into the hands of those who need it most, Lanre is bringing his power to innovate to his community once more! He continues to win numerous entrepreneurship awards including the Queen's Young Leaders Award.

COVID-19 strikes

Thousands have been affected by the coronavirus in Nigeria. As in many emerging economies, a large number of Nigeria's small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) rely on face-to-face interactions to conduct their business. A call by the government for social isolation could therefore signal the end for them. In densely populated cities such as Lagos, the importance of washing hands and keeping socially distanced is essential, yet this remains difficult for many.

There is an additional need for clear and easy to follow guidelines around COVID-19. Any news on how to treat or handle those with the virus must inevitably compete with pre-existing stigmas around mingling with the sick, even after they have recovered.

Innovate now!

Providing clear, concise, simple to access and easy to engage with facts about the virus, in local languages, is an innovative way of helping deal with coronavirus.

That's where Lanre has once more sprung into action. Along with his team of youths, Lanre has created a website to share information about the virus. The website provides a space for Q&A, connects directly with doctors, debunks many commons myths, and is available in local languages.

Dedicating his digital skills and community knowledge to fighting COVID-19, Lanre has shifted his focus from providing information and access to care for expectant mothers, to tackling misinformation about the coronavirus. Under a mountain of pressure, Lanre has risen to the challenge, managing to handle his day-to-day business operations while also working on this side initiative, in order to reduce misinformation on Covid-19 in Nigeria.

Ye! Community

Lanre has been a member of the International Trade Centre Youth and Trade Programme's Ye! Community since its inception. The Ye! team has watched his start-up evolve from a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) into a viable healthtech platform.

He also serves as the acting Ye! Ambassador for Nigeria. Ye! Ambassadors are youth leaders that connect and convene a local network of youth entrepreneurs. They volunteer their time to build partnerships and strengthen networks to create a vocal and interconnected community that can be leveraged by youth entrepreneurs needing support and guidance.

Ye! www.yecommunity.com - powered by the International Trade Centre and endorsed by the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI), is a global movement in support of youth entrepreneurship and self-employment. The community is open to entrepreneurs between the ages of 15 and 35. The Ye! online platform provides a space for young entrepreneurs around the world to connect with various tools, resources and opportunities, including coaching, country guides, e-learning courses, and events to support their enterprises. Ye! aims to promote and support youth entrepreneurship and self-employment so as to stimulate job creation and enhance the employability of youth to systemically reduce youth unemployment.

Interested to get in touch with Lanre? Create your profile on Ye! andmeet him here.