Creating lasting local opportunities in Tanzania
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Wherever Equinor operates, we want to build trustingrelationships and create lasting benefits for the local community. We invest todevelop skills and capacity, and create employment opportunities. In Tanzania,we wanted to encourage entrepreneurship amongst local youth in Mtwara, where we have our supply base.
In Mtwara, Tanzania we launched the Heroes of Tomorrow business competition to search for a young entrepreneur with a great business plan and the drive to deliver it.
We found Nassibu
Equinor supports 23 year old Nassibu Hamimu Lilumba to realise his dream of owning a local motorcycle taxi—“boda boda”—service company.
From over 500 applications, Nassibu’s proposal was chosen as the winning business idea by a panel of local business leaders. He identified a niche in the market, combining real business acumen and local knowledge.
“I knew that I had to think beyond what other youth think in order to realise my vision of running a safe boda boda business in Mtwara” says Nassibu.
Motorcycles are an everyday and necessary mode of transportation for thousands of people in Mtwara.
What sets apart Nassibu’s business plan is the high focus on safety standards for both his drivers and passengers. Nassibu has implemented safety vests for his drivers and obligatory helmets for both riders.
Nassibu has a sustainable business model, which is expected to grow and hopefully elevate the safety standards also for other boda boda drivers in the community.
Seizing the opportunity of the business competition, the young visionary will hopefully inspire change for the benefit of local boda boda drivers, passengers and the entire community.
“The competition has already improved my life. I am planning to move to a new small house once the business bears its first fruits. I am optimistic for a better future’.
Heroes of Tomorrow
Equinor Heroes of Tomorrow programme in Tanzania is a business plan competition which aims to encourage entrepreneurial spirit among the youth in Mtwara. Equinor wants to encourage young people to take part in the opportunities emerging from the gas industry and encourages business opportunities that are driving individual as well as community success.
For two seasons, the competition has attracted more than 1,000 youth to participate and half of them have been trained to become better entrepreneurs to make their dreams come true.