African Students in Finland: 7 Ideas for Business in Africa

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Anienka Okono“We don’t need a public toilet project, We need a place where to charge our phones!” said the old farmer, with an angry voice.

They are Africans students in one of the most advanced technology university in Europe: Aalto University in Finland. They are studying Computer sciences, Design, Civil Engineering, Arts. They love their host country but their mind and heart are currently turned back to Africa.

So, they are offering their skills to African entrepreneurs to use for free or in a joint-venture program. You can submit your project or request, and you’ll be matched with the right students who could help you build your next web application, or craft a blueprint for your hardware project.

You’ll find below the contact of the community coordinator Aniekan Okono.

Here below are their currently self-started projects:

1. How to charge your phone when you don’t have Electricity at home?

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Almost all Africans have now a mobile phone or have access to one, but only 1/3 of African households have access to electricity.

There are solutions like Power Kiss or Juicebox that could be reconditioned for Africa using solar energy.

The students are working on something similar to JuiceBox (video above), but with a printed code that people would use to unlock the phone door instead of using a credit card. It will use the same principles but will be modified and adapted to suit the environment and conditions of African countries.

The Students told me they could easily get funding or grants for the research. “So money isn’t really the problem”. They are looking for Entrepreneurs in Africa who would like work with them to develop a “competing or alternative design” that would solves the power problem for mobile phone charging in many places in Africa.

Contact:
Aniekan Okono
Email:  aniekanokono@gmail.com
Skype: aniekan.okono
Tel: 358 (0) 44-362-9957
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alabasta1?fref=ts
Linkedin: http://fi.linkedin.com/pub/aniekan-okono/2b/b72/686

 

2. Return your Plastic bags and bottles for Cash

plastic bad pollution

Bottle-for-free-transit-beijing

In the ecology friendly Finland where our Students live now, there are machines in supermarkets or around commercial centers where people could return bottles for cash, vouchers, or loyalty points.

Recently, the City of Beijing has started an experiment where people could return plastic bottles and get free ticked to ride the subway. The experiment receive very positive feedback and one of the project sponsor  said: “Most bottles we are made of PET, which means they’re recyclable. Most PET recycling workshops re-use the plastic for cloths and toys.”

 

Now, countries like Nigeria have a huge problem with plastic bags and bottles pollution, that could be recycled. And some folks would appreciate every little cents they can get extra while collecting and returning thrown away Plastic bags and bottles.

“If Finland makes good use of these bottles and recycle them, why can’t we collect them the same way it is done in Finland and give people vouchers they can redeem? Remember they too still throw away bottles but people who are interested in the vouchers will take advantage of this scheme.” wrote Aniekan Okono.

The students are ready to work with any Entrepreneurs from Africa who is interested in redesigning, reconditioning, and distributing these machines in Africa.

Contact:
Aniekan Okono
Email:  aniekanokono@gmail.com
Skype: aniekan.okono
Tel: 358 (0) 44-362-9957
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alabasta1?fref=ts
Linkedin: http://fi.linkedin.com/pub/aniekan-okono/2b/b72/686

 

3. Return to Africa with an Internship program

A recent study shows that up to 90% of African students abroad want to return home after their study. The African students in Finland are in that group, and they have started an initiative  to help students familiarize themselves with companies in Africa before the end of their studies trough internship.

They are working on web/mobile app that would allow corporations in Africa looking for interns from the African diaspora to  list the opportunities and get trainees which they can pay salaries or work for free. The only condition is that the companies would engage to cover the student trip cost.

The idea is to start an Africa-focused version of InternhipsChina which place university students, graduates and young professionals at an internship position of their choice.

Contact:
Aniekan Okono
Email:  aniekanokono@gmail.com
Skype: aniekan.okono
Tel: 358 (0) 44-362-9957
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alabasta1?fref=ts
Linkedin: http://fi.linkedin.com/pub/aniekan-okono/2b/b72/686

 

4. The African IMDB: African movies discovery

“I constantly need to watch movies and the only place I can get the best information is IMDB (Internet movies database) and they don’t solve my problems well (where are the African movies?). I ask other people but they don’t use Netflix. Can’t there be a system or app where I can  see which movies my friends and networks have liked, with ratings system, then I will click to get directed to where I can watch that movie?”

Most folks in the diaspora who want to watch African movies have the same issues. The African IMDB idea comes as a solution.

The students are ready to help entrepreneurs interested in that field build the app and promote it in the diaspora.

Contact:
Aniekan Okono
Email:  aniekanokono@gmail.com
Skype: aniekan.okono
Tel: 358 (0) 44-362-9957
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alabasta1?fref=ts
Linkedin: http://fi.linkedin.com/pub/aniekan-okono/2b/b72/686

 

5. She stole my money, and  my husband!

Then, You need a site where you can find trusted and verified home service professionals in your locality.

If you are interested in this opportunity, contacts the students, they would help with building the tool for your country.

Contact:
Aniekan Okono
Email:  aniekanokono@gmail.com
Skype: aniekan.okono
Tel: 358 (0) 44-362-9957
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alabasta1?fref=ts
Linkedin: http://fi.linkedin.com/pub/aniekan-okono/2b/b72/686

 

6. ChaChaCha! Call 12 to Save Money and Time!

This is a  tele-concierge project for local business to call and get instant and verified information about who are the cheapest computer parts resellers in town, or to find local flier or poster designers, local copywriters , local translators, local printing firms and distributors.

The student could built the platform that would support the Question&Answer staff. It’s a kind of service like ChaCha, a human-guided search engine that provides real-time answers to any question, through the phone,  or via text messaging.

Contact:
Aniekan Okono
Email:  aniekanokono@gmail.com
Skype: aniekan.okono
Tel: 358 (0) 44-362-9957
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alabasta1?fref=ts
Linkedin: http://fi.linkedin.com/pub/aniekan-okono/2b/b72/686

 

7. Gooooal! A marketplace for Footballers

Africa is the football continent! And, many local players want to play in better leagues abroad and at home. Currently the agents handle everything, but not every footballer has an agent. Here come the idea of a Zerply for footballers: a platform where these footballers can create profiles and add videos, then they can also find agents and contact these agents, or these agents find them. Clubs also can use the online directory to scout.

Fieldoo is doing something similar but it can’t go deep into African football fields and signup these footballers with a freemium or paid service. An African focused marketplace could be a disruption that could be scaled to find football clubs in every country, city and state to join.

Adding retired celebrity footballers like Kanu, Okocha, Mila, etc as ambassadors would help the app credibility and also help publicity.

Contact:
Aniekan Okono
Email:  aniekanokono@gmail.com
Skype: aniekan.okono
Tel: 358 (0) 44-362-9957
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Alabasta1?fref=ts
Linkedin: http://fi.linkedin.com/pub/aniekan-okono/2b/b72/686

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

About Post Author

Anthony-Claret Ifeanyi Onwutalobi

Anthony-Claret is a software Engineer, entrepreneur and the founder of Codewit INC. Mr. Claret publishes and manages the content on Codewit Word News website and associated websites. He's a writer, IT Expert, great administrator, technology enthusiast, social media lover and all around digital guy.
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