By Justina Auta
The Ministry of Youth Development and Heifer International, an NGO, has urged youths to leverage innovative agricultural technology to drive sustainable transformation in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
They made the call at the inauguration of the 2025 AYuTE Africa Challenge Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
The programme, now in its fourth season, is an initiative of Heifer International.
The initiative aims to empower agri-tech innovators to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
The Minister of Youth Development, Mr Ayodele Olawande noted that the initiative would empower youths to drive sustainable development, particularly within Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Olawande, represented by the Special Assistant on Gender Affairs, Ms Kehinde Awujoola said the initiative was a project aimed at unlocking the potential of Nigerian youths in agriculture.
“It is also fostering innovation and addressing the critical challenges facing our agricultural landscape in Nigeria, where agriculture plays a vital role in the economy and livelihoods.
“Initiatives like these are crucial, and the focus on agri-tech solutions is particularly timely.
“We need to leverage technology to enhance productivity, improve efficiency, and create a more resilient, sustainable agricultural sector.
“This challenge provides a platform for our young entrepreneurs to showcase their ingenuity and contribute to the transformation of our dear country,” he said.
Olawande therefore reiterated the government’s commitment to investing in Nigeria’s youths and tech innovators to achieve sustainable growth and development.
The Country Director of Heifer International, Dr Lekan Tobe said a $40,000 grant would be awarded to the top three finalists of the challenge to provide them with the necessary support to scale their agri-tech innovations.
He said this would help transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
Describing the challenge as an enterprise development programme, he stated that it aims to identify, nurture, and support innovative, technology-driven agri-centric enterprises to grow, scale, and thrive.
“It is to ensure that the youth of today take hold of the agriculture they want tomorrow, and it also provides them with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs and generate employment for others,” he said.
He added that the organisation also provides participants with technical assistance, business development support, and introductions to potential investors.
He said this support would continue until participants successfully commercialise their technologies.
“Some of them become our programme partners and implement initiatives that offer solutions to farmers’ challenges.
“By virtue of their participation, others have found them interesting and invested in them, enabling them to continue growing,” he said.
According to him, the organisation has impacted over 46 million smallholder farmers across America, Asia, and Africa since its inception 80 years ago.
Also, Abdulmutalib Mohammed, representing the Presidential Food Systems Coordination Unit (PFSCU), said: “Technology is a very important catalyst in achieving food security.
“If it’s not anchored by the youth and tech-savvy individuals, we don’t see how we can catch up.”
Some past beneficiaries of the grant testified to its impact in equipping them with technology-driven solutions to address challenges in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
They said it has contributed to food security, economic growth, and youth empowerment.
