Country of Residence
Nigeria
Age
19
Project title
The Next
Project Summary: Describe your project in one sentence
The Next equips young people aged 13–19 with the skills, mindset, and opportunities to turn ideas into action, solve real-world problems, and become active changemakers today.
Website URL(s) or social media handles.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-joseph-740134386?utm_source=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=member_ios
Project Category
My project is an existing project that I started
Project Stage
Pilot-Stage (We’ve tried an activity or two)
Founding Story: What was the spark that led you to start your project? What was the "Aha!" moment that led you to get started and see the potential for this to succeed?
As a medical student, I was often encouraged to follow the conventional path because it was safe. It was only after being exposed to entrepreneurship, business, finance, and leadership that I discovered interests and possibilities I never knew I had. This made me wonder how many young people were in the same position, limited not by their potential but by what they had been exposed to. My motivation goes beyond exposure. I believe that if more young people began building solutions to the problems around them, Nigeria and Africa would be better places to live. We need more people who can identify problems, think creatively, and turn ideas into solutions that improve lives. Yet many young people never get the opportunity to see themselves as people capable of creating change. That was the spark behind The Next. I want to take the initiative into secondary schools, introduce students to new possibilities, and equip them to explore their interests, develop ideas, and take action. My vision is to raise a generation of builders who do not simply wait for opportunities or expect others to solve the problems around them, but have the confidence and skills to create solutions themselves. My own experience showed me how powerful exposure can be, and through The Next, I want more young people to discover what they can build and start building it early.
The Problem: What problem are you helping to solve? Why does it matter to you and your community?
Nigeria faces challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and inadequate access to essential services. Addressing them requires young people who can identify problems, develop innovative solutions, and create opportunities. Yet, many students grow up preparing to fit into existing career paths without being exposed to entrepreneurship, innovation, or how they can contribute to solving Nigeria’s challenges. This matters to me because Nigeria is my country, and I want to see it thrive. I also know what it feels like to follow a conventional path without fully exploring what else is possible. Exposure introduced me to interests in business, finance, and leadership that I might never have discovered otherwise. I do not want young people to spend years on paths they are dissatisfied with simply because they never had the opportunity to explore other possibilities early enough. Through The Next, I want to take conversations about entrepreneurship, innovation, and problem-solving into secondary schools, connect students with people building solutions, and challenge them to explore their interests and develop ideas of their own. I want young Nigerians to discover their potential early and use it to build solutions that contribute to Nigeria’s development.
Your Solution: How are you solving this problem? Share your specific solution.
Through The Next, I want to equip young Nigerians to become builders and problem-solvers, starting from secondary school. We will organise interactive school sessions that expose students to entrepreneurship, innovation, and possibilities beyond conventional career paths, alongside leadership workshops that develop their ability to think critically, take initiative, and lead. Through practical challenges and pitch competitions, students will identify problems in their schools and communities, develop solutions, and present their ideas. The Next also aims to provide funding for innovative, viable ideas that address real problems, enabling promising solutions to move beyond the idea stage into implementation. By combining exposure, practical learning, leadership development, and access to funding, The Next seeks to bridge the gap between young people’s potential and their ability to create change. My goal is to raise a generation of young builders who create opportunities, solve problems, and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s and Africa’s development.
Impact: How has your project created impact / made a difference so far? Or, if at an early stage, what will impact look like?
The Next has begun creating impact by connecting young people with the knowledge, experiences, and opportunities they need to turn ideas into action. Through our Zero to One webinar, we reached 31 people with conversations about moving from an idea to building something tangible. Our speakers shared practical insights on identifying problems, exploring possibilities, and taking the first steps towards bringing ideas to life. Beyond the session itself, one of our speakers opened 10 spots in her incubator programme, creating a pathway for young people to access further support for their ideas. This showed me that The Next can be more than a platform for inspiration; it can connect young people to opportunities that help them take their next steps. Although we are still at an early stage, this experience has strengthened my belief that exposure and access can change what young people consider possible. Our impact will not be measured only by the number of students we reach, but also by the ideas they develop, the opportunities they pursue, and the solutions they eventually build. As we expand into secondary schools, introduce leadership workshops and pitch competitions, and work towards funding viable student-led solutions, we hope to nurture a generation of young Nigerians equipped to create opportunities and address real problems in their communities.
Your Innovation: What is different about your project compared to other programs or solutions already out there? How is your project new or innovative?
What makes The Next different is that it does not stop at inspiring young people or telling them to dream big. It focuses on helping them move from discovering possibilities to actually building something with them. Many students are encouraged to focus on academic achievement and prepare for established career paths, while entrepreneurship, innovation, and problem-solving are often introduced much later. The Next brings these conversations into secondary schools, when young people are still discovering their interests and shaping their understanding of what they can become. Our approach combines exposure with action. Students will engage with entrepreneurs and innovators, participate in leadership workshops, identify problems within their communities, and develop ideas for solving them. Through pitch competitions, they will have opportunities to present their solutions, receive feedback, and learn to refine their ideas. Unlike programs that end with inspiration or training, The Next also aims to provide funding for innovative, viable ideas that address real problems, giving promising young builders a chance to implement their solutions. I see the innovation in connecting these elements into a pathway that begins with possibility and progresses towards action. A student who has never considered entrepreneurship could discover an interest, identify a problem in their community, develop a solution, pitch it, and potentially receive funding to bring it to life. The Next is built on the belief that young people should not have to wait until adulthood to become problem-solvers. By introducing them early to the mindset, skills, and opportunities needed to build, we want to make creating solutions a possibility they can begin pursuing today.
How many people are on your team?
3
Your team: What role(s) do your team members play? How do you share leadership with them?
Our three-member team works collaboratively, with me leading the project, partnerships, and communication; our organization lead coordinating activities and implementation; and our community and procurement lead managing community engagement and resources. We jointly plan initiatives, share ideas, solve challenges, and make decisions together.
What’s Next: What are the next steps you plan to take to grow or strengthen your project over the next year? If your project is still in the idea stage, describe the steps you will take over the next three months to launch or begin developing it.
By the end of 2026, we aim to take The Next into at least three secondary schools, deliver engaging programmes that introduce students to entrepreneurship, innovation, and problem-solving, and organise three successful pitch opportunities where young people can present ideas for solving real problems. In early 2027, we plan to expand our reach to at least 20 schools, strengthen our programme structure, and introduce more leadership workshops and practical challenges that help students develop their ideas. We also aim to establish partnerships with entrepreneurs, organisations, and businesses that can provide mentorship, resources, and funding for innovative, viable student-led solutions. Beyond expanding our reach, we want to develop a clear process for supporting promising ideas from identification and pitching to implementation. We will gather feedback from students and schools to improve our programmes and understand their impact. Our long-term goal is to build a growing network of young Nigerian builders who have the confidence, skills, and opportunities to create solutions that contribute to their communities and Nigeria’s development.
How do you encourage other people to join your project or learn about the problem you’re working on? If you have a new idea, tell us how you will do this in the future.
I want to encourage others to see young people not just as future leaders, but as people who can begin solving problems today. Through The Next, I plan to engage students directly through school programmes, interactive conversations, leadership workshops, and pitch competitions that challenge them to think beyond conventional career paths and explore the problems they can solve. We also want to involve entrepreneurs, innovators, and other young changemakers who can share their experiences, expose students to new possibilities, and encourage them to take action. Through partnerships with schools, businesses, and organisations, we aim to reach more students and create opportunities for them to develop and pitch their ideas. Our goal is to support viable solutions with funding so that students can move beyond inspiration and begin implementing their ideas. As we grow, we plan to share stories from our school visits, student ideas, and programme activities online to spark conversations about youth innovation and encourage more schools, mentors, and partners to get involved. We want every student we reach to leave with a new perspective and the confidence to explore what they can build. By creating a community around young people’s ideas and solutions, The Next aims to inspire more people to participate in building a generation of problem-solvers.
