By Justina Auta/Nana Musa
The Federal Government and Heifer Nigeria, an international NGO, have called on young agritech innovators to leverage technology to transform and revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The call was made during the grand finale of the 2025 Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Nigeria Challenge, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Now in its fourth season, the AYuTe Challenge is an initiative of Heifer International aimed at empowering agritech innovators with skills, grants, resources, market access, and mentorship to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
Alhaji Idi Mukhtar-Maiha, Minister of Livestock Development, highlighted the vital role youth play in using innovative ideas and technology to drive social and economic development.
He disclosed that the National Livestock Growth Strategy, recently approved by the National Economic Council, aimed to grow the sector’s value from the current 32 billion dollars to 74 billion dollars by 2035.
“This growth will be driven by collaboration with the private sector, state governments, and local and international investors.
“The central driver of that strategy is youth involvement. What I’ve seen today at the AYuTe Challenge finale gives me hope and inspiration.
“These young minds are not seeking white-collar jobs but are venturing into agribusiness with innovative solutions for agriculture and livestock,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Ayodele Olawande, Minister of Youth Development, stressed the need to empower youth to tackle food insecurity, which he said limited the potential of communities and hindered national progress.
Represented by Ms. Kehinde Awujoola, Special Assistant on Gender Affairs, Olawande said, “Let us work together to ignite a revolution in our agricultural sector, driven by the brilliance and determination of Nigerian youths.”
Dr Lekan Tobe, Country Director of Heifer International, noted that a total of 40,000 dollars in grants was awarded to the top three finalists from more than 1,000 applicants.
Tobe said the grants were aimed at supporting the winners in scaling their innovations and encouraged other youths to refine their ideas to become business owners and job creators.
“We want agriculture to evolve from subsistence to a technology-oriented, commercialised sector, with youth playing a central role,” he said.
Dr Michael Ojo, Country Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), urged the youth to develop innovative solutions that improved access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food, and help addressed malnutrition.
Similarly, Jafar Abubakar, Director-General of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), described the AYuTe Challenge as an opportunity for young Nigerians to grow the economy, create jobs, and improve access to healthy food.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Deborah Oigocho, founder of Erido Agro, a digital savings tool for smallholder farmers, emerged as the second runner-up and received a grant of 8,000 dollars.
Aisha Rilwanu-Sidi, founder of Grabb Livestock, a digital marketplace that uses AI-powered animal health verification to connect rural farmers to buyers, came in second and was awarded 12,000 dollars.
Seyi Alabi, co-founder of Crop2Cash, an innovative digital platform that empowers smallholder farmers through financial inclusion and agricultural education, emerged as the overall winner and received a 20,000 dollars grant.
Other activities at the event included panel discussions on the theme “NextGen Agritech: Leveraging Youth and Innovation to Power Nigeria’s Food System.”
The event also featured the presentation of awards and a documentary showcasing the impact of the AYuTe Nigeria Challenge. (NAN)
