The Young Entrepreneurs Awards, organized by the Al Mada Foundation, were presented on June 28, 2024, under the leadership of Mr. Hassan Ouriagli, President of the Al Mada Group, during the 2024 International Africa Development Forum.
Chosen by a distinguished jury led by Mrs. Noufissa Kessar, Deputy General Director of Al Mada Group, these awards celebrate the excellence, innovation, and originality of projects from various African countries.
These accolades align with the Al Mada Foundation’s mission to support the rise of young talent in the pan-African economic scene through concrete actions, positioning the awarded young talents as inspiring role models for African youth.
The four young entrepreneurs who received the awards are:
- First Prize (250,000 DHS): Congo Plast, a Congolese company led by Mr. Henri Diele, which uses cutting-edge technology for the collection and recycling of plastic waste.
- Second Prize (200,000 DHS): Deepecho, a Moroccan company headed by Mr. Youssef Bouyakhf, which leverages artificial intelligence to improve prenatal diagnostics.
- Third Prize (100,000 DHS): Innovative Clan, a Cameroonian company managed by Mrs. Ako Joelle Agborndang, which has developed digital payment solutions for the educational sector.
- Jury’s Favorite (50,000 DHS): Gaz-tech, a Congolese company directed by Mrs. Andress Bellina Loemba, offering a mobile payment and sale service for LPG gas aimed at disadvantaged Congolese families.
During the award ceremony, Mr. Hassan Ouriagli stated, “This initiative celebrates the dynamic efforts of the Al Mada fund in supporting entrepreneurship. We strive daily, through our participations and our Foundation, to address issues of inclusion and entrepreneurial support at the core of our mission.”
He further emphasized, “Believing in the potential of entrepreneurship for the socio-economic development of Morocco and the Continent, the Al Mada Foundation has been deploying several programs for years to promote entrepreneurship in all its forms, prioritizing the emergence of a new generation of African entrepreneurs.” Mr. Ouriagli described Al Mada’s approach as a “long-term, structured, and integrated process aimed at unlocking our youth’s potential, energizing our economic fabric, and creating opportunities for all.”
Finally, he addressed African youth, calling them “talented, passionate, and hardworking,” encouraging them to venture into entrepreneurship and “explore a path” that he views as “the future path, one offering numerous possibilities given the major challenges and stakes of our continent, which are also opportunities for investment and a route to sustainable and inclusive growth for all of us and for Africa.”
