Nigeria has officially launched the 2026 Agriculture, Youth, and Technology (AYuTe) Nigeria Challenge, opening applications for young agritech innovators with solutions to close critical gaps faced by millions of smallholder farmers across the country.
The launch event, held in Abuja on Thursday, brought together young innovators, policymakers and development partners under the theme “Catalysing youth-led innovation to transform Nigeria’s food systems.”
The initiative will position technology-driven agriculture as a pathway to youth employment, climate-smart farming and sustainable livelihoods.
AYuTe Nigeria builds on the broader AYuTe Africa Challenge, a continental programme that awards over US$1 million annually to outstanding agritech innovators.
At the national level, the Nigerian edition will provide up to US$40,000 in prizes to support promising, early-stage agritech startups with scalable solutions.
Speaking at the event, Country Director of Heifer Nigeria, Dr Lekan Tobe, said the 2026 challenge focuses on identifying innovations that are not only technically sound but also climate-smart and capable of delivering measurable value to Nigeria’s nearly 40 million smallholder farmers.
According to him, Nigeria’s food systems require more than incremental improvements, noting that youth-led innovation combined with emerging technologies can deliver the transformation the sector urgently needs.
“Through AYuTe, we are not just awarding grants. We are nurturing an innovation pipeline that secures a sustainable and dynamic future for Nigeria’s agricultural sector,” Dr Tobe said.
He explained that winners of the 2026 AYuTe Nigeria Challenge will receive catalytic funding totalling US$40,000, with the grand prize winner receiving US$20,000, the first runner-up US$12,000 and the second runner-up US$8,000.
Beyond financial support, successful innovators will also benefit from post-award business advisory services to help translate ideas into viable growth strategies.
Also speaking, Communications Manager at Heifer International, Chuba Ezeigwe, stated that the programme goes beyond competition by amplifying youth-led innovations capable of driving growth across the agricultural value chain.
“AYuTe is about seeing the bigger picture, enabling young innovators to build solutions that improve productivity, resilience and inclusivity across food systems,” he said.
Mustapha Abokede, Venture Lead at Wennovation Hub, the project’s technical partner, emphasised that the initiative prioritises farmer-centric technologies that can withstand real market pressures and deliver long-term impact.
The 2026 AYuTe Nigeria Challenge is expected to attract innovators developing solutions in areas such as digital agriculture, climate adaptation, access to finance and supply chain efficiency, reinforcing the role of youth and technology in shaping the future of Nigeria’s agriculture.
Source: Peoples Daily
