Heifer International Nigeria on Monday in Abuja successfully hosted the fifth Edition of the Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) Challenge noting that the Challenge is currently driving innovation among youth entreprenuers in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the event, the Country Director of Heifer International Nigeria, Dr Lekan Tobe, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to attracting more young Nigerians into agriculture through technology and innovation as winners were announced in the 2026 Edition of the Challenge
According to him, the AYuTe Challenge was established to make agriculture attractive to young people by promoting digital solutions rather than traditional farming methods.
“The future of agriculture depends on our young people. No graduate wants to farm with hoes and cutlasses in this era of artificial intelligence and digital innovation,” Tobe said.
He said the competition had produced successful agribusinesses, including Ninsey Agro, Essential Africa, Scratops and Superfarm Market, whose founders had expanded their businesses beyond Nigeria.
“We have seen many CEOs of thriving agri-enterprises emerge from AYuTe. Their success is proof that the programme is impactful and capable of doing even more with greater support,” he added.
Tobe disclosed that winners of this year’s competition received prizes worth $43,000, with the overall winner taking home $20,000, the first runner-up $15,000, and the second runner-up $8,000.
He explained that beneficiaries would also receive post-competition mentorship, coaching, business development support and access to investors to help commercialise their innovations.
“We monitor their progress, connect them with mentors and investors, and ensure they continue to grow long after the competition has ended.
“Many of them are technically gifted but require entrepreneurial support to commercialise their innovations. We want them to build sustainable businesses that create jobs and mentor others,” Tobe said.
He urged the Federal Government to sustain youth-friendly agricultural policies, improve access to affordable financing and strengthen collaboration with the private sector and development partners to boost youth participation in agriculture.
“There is a conscious effort to actualise these policies and bring them to life. Access to finance and land remains fundamental for anyone who wants to venture into agriculture, and deliberate efforts must continue to make these opportunities available to young people,” he added.
On his part,Communications Manager of Heifer Nigeria, Chuba Ezeigwe, said the Ayute Africa Challenge Nigeria was established to support agritech start-ups and is currently being implemented in nine African countries.
He said the initiative provides annual grants of up to $40,000 for promising Nigerian agribusinesses, while the regional Ayute NextGen programme offers up to $1 million to help growth-stage agritech companies scale.
“This year marks the fifth edition of Ayute Nigeria, and the impact has been remarkable. We have seen agritech entrepreneurs grow from serving just 50 farmers to reaching more than 50,000 farmers,” he said.
Ezeigwe explained that between 2,000 and 3,000 applications are received annually and screened down to the top five finalists who compete for the grants.
According to him, “The initiative is focused on solving the challenges of smallholder farmers through practical, affordable and scalable innovations. ”
“At the heart of this programme is the farmer, while young people are the driving force behind the transformation Ayute seeks to achieve.
“It is about youth-led innovation that is reshaping food systems and strengthening agricultural value chains,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said Nigeria could no longer rely on traditional farming methods alone to feed its rapidly growing population, stressing the need to transition to technology-driven, high-yield commercial agriculture.
Abdullahi said Nigeria’s greatest assets for agricultural transformation were its youthful population and technological ingenuity.
He noted that deploying precision farming, drone technology, Artificial Intelligence-driven crop monitoring and digital supply chain platforms would significantly improve productivity, reduce post-harvest losses and make farming more profitable.
He added that “our youth are energetic, resilient, innovative, and inherently tech-savvy. By deploying smart technologies, ranging from precision farming, drone technology, and AI-driven crop monitoring to efficient supply chain platforms.
“We can drastically increase yields, manage pests and diseases, reduce post-harvest losses, and make farming a highly profitable venture.”
At the event, Victoria Ogwanighie, Founder of Kiyoko Foods Ltd, emerged overall winner of the 2026 AYuTe Nigeria Challenge and received a 20,000-dollar grant.
Bello Amos-Bwala, Founder of Agrigoo Trades and Commodity, won the second prize of 12,000 dollars, while Udokanma George, Founder of Yemert Nigeria Ltd, came third and received 8,000 dollars.
The event also featured a university roadshow showcase, a panel discussion on youth-led agritech innovation for Nigeria’s food systems transformation and the unveiling of the top three winners of the 2026 AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria