Heifer Nigeria has launched the 2026 AYuTe Nigeria Challenge, offering up to $40,000 to support youth-led agritech ventures that aim to transform Nigeria’s food systems and boost smallholder farmers’ incomes.
Unveiled in Abuja, this year’s Agriculture, Youth and Technology (AYuTe) initiative carries the theme “Catalysing Youth-Led Innovation to Transform Nigeria’s Food Systems.” Dr Lekan Tobe, Country Director of Heifer Nigeria, said the 2026 edition will focus on innovations that are technically feasible, climate-smart, and capable of delivering real value to smallholder farmers—the backbone of Nigeria’s agricultural economy.
“The future of Nigeria’s food security depends on the energy and creativity of our youth. Challenges like climate change and supply chain inefficiencies require modern, locally driven solutions,” Dr Tobe said. He added that Heifer will provide both financial and technical resources to turn youth-led ideas into scalable tools that strengthen the agricultural value chain.
The AYuTe Nigeria Challenge, which started in 2022, has received over 2,000 entries to date. The 2026 challenge will award $20,000 to the grand prize winner, $12,000 to the first runner-up, and $8,000 to the second runner-up. Applications opened on January 22 and will close on March 14. Successful participants will also receive post-award business advisory support to help scale their ventures.
“By promoting youth-led agritech solutions, we are empowering young entrepreneurs to create jobs while solving real challenges faced by smallholder farmers,” said Chuba Ezeigwe, Heifer Nigeria Communications Manager.
Technical partner Wennovation Hub will provide rigorous venture support, focusing on technical feasibility and economic viability to ensure solutions can scale effectively. Mustapha Abokede, Venture Lead at Wennovation Hub, said the partnership aims to build a more resilient food system and offer clear growth paths for smallholder farmers.
Past winners have already demonstrated the impact of the initiative. Seyi Alabi, 2025 winner and Founder of Crop2Cash, expanded operations to multiple states and improved access to financing for farmers through mobile solutions. Deborah Oigocho, second runner-up in 2025 and Co-Founder of Erido Agro, reached over 1,000 smallholder farmers, launched a platform linking farmers to input markets, and opened a rice processing plant to strengthen the local rice value chain in Benue State.
The AYuTe Africa Challenge supports youth-led agritech enterprises across Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda, awarding up to $40,000 per participating country to foster innovation and sustainable growth in agriculture.
