| Global Youth Entrepreneur Award
Charles Immanuel Akhimien Startup Name: MOBicure | Country: Nigeria | Age: 28 Partners: Emmanuel Owobu
INTRODUCTION MOBicure is a social enterprise that provides mobile technology solutions to help solve health issues plaguing Nigeria and other developing countries such as poor immunization coverage, high maternal and child mortality and poor health access. The mobile health (mhealth) startup creates solutions that make use of phones, tablets, SMS, apps, Interactive Voice Recordings (IVRs) and videos. MOBicure’s flagship product is called MỌMI (meaning “my child” in Yoruba language). OMOMI is a mobile platform consisting of a mobile app and an SMS service which enables mothers to easily monitor their children’s health at the touch of a button.
AN OUTSTANDING APPROACH Currently, there is no other mobile health solution or product that comprehensively covers the health of children under 5 years old in Nigeria. 80
Even though some other child m-health tools (web and mobile apps) do exist in other countries, none is quite as all-encompassing as the OMOMI app, which can reach every mobile device either through the web, SMS or as an app.
• The OMOMI platform has given over 11,000 mothers access to life-saving health information. • Young people are at the core of MOBicure, as their policy is to ensure that at least 80% of its employees are below 30 years old.
The huge target market of the OMOMI app and SMS service guarantees a steady revenue stream which will make the product self-sustaining moving forward. Over the next 5 years, MOBicure hopes to bring about a paradigm shift in the health care system of Nigeria and the rest of the developing world through the use of mobile technology which will improve and save lives by making healthcare more accessible.
JUDGES’ THOUGHTS Maternal health is one of the biggest threats to women in developing countries, and MOBicure addresses this in Nigeria with a smart and accessible solution. The use of technology as well as MOBicure’s engagement with customers show that the startup has already made an impressive impact, and furthermore has high growth and job-creation potential.
ACHIEVEMENTS • OMOMI emerged as one of the winners of the 7th World Summit Youth Award (WSYA) held in June 2015. • 15 paid employees, all of which are under 30 years old.