Five successful winners from among the finalists will now be selected by the online voting public. The winners will bag $25,000 [N4,065,000] each, and will also have the opportunity to work with a Google sponsor over a six-month period to further their online business success. The competition categories included Education; Entertainment/Arts/Sports; Technology; Community and NGOs; and Small Businesses.
The three Nigerian finalists are Eric Obuh, a social crusader; Eseoghene Odiete, a fashion designer; and Mayowa Adegbile, a philanthropist.
Eric Obuh a.k.a. Vocal Slender (http://vocalslender.net/) is a musician who used YouTube to distribute his content and Google+ to interact with his fans. His music and online popularity have led him to become earn a living from concerts and appearances. He uses his earnings to raise awareness about underprivileged youngsters in the slums of Lagos where he comes from, thereby providing financial aid for the scholars and encouraging school attendance.
Eseoghene Odiete runs Hesey Designs (http://www.heseydesigns.com/)
Mayowa Adegbile is the initiator of Ashake Foundation (http://www.ashakefoundation.
“Africa Connected is a competition that has run for over six months and we are thrilled at the number of amazing stories that have been collected from across Africa. Today we are excited to announce the top 10 finalists who have been selected by our judges’ panel. The diversity of their ventures – from providing clean drinking water to preserving culture – shows how the web can truly drive positive change in the lives of many people and their communities. We look forward to seeing who the voting public choose as the winners – the top five most inspiring success stories from across our continent.” says Affiong Osuchukwu, Google Lead for the Africa Connected initiative.