Fayan Bounty Produce Limited has emerged as the overall winner of the Youth in Work Innovative Challenge in Kano, receiving a five-million-naira grant.
Agric Technology Limited came second with four million naira, while Nutri-Gold Solution secured third position with three-point-eight million naira.
The programme was organised by Self Help Africa, SHA, in collaboration with the World Food Programme, WFP, and the Mastercard Foundation, with more than seventy million naira disbursed to thirty-three young innovators.
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Speaking shortly after the final pitch event in Kano, the lead judge and Country Head, Finance and Administration of Self Help Africa, Elisha Maida, said all the participating innovators received grants, with no beneficiary receiving less than one million naira.
Maida said the competition was designed to identify innovative solutions to challenges across Nigeria’s agricultural value chain, particularly in food production, processing, marketing and livelihoods.
He explained that the selection process began with more than six hundred applications, followed by shortlisting, screening and a five-week incubation programme involving training and mentorship.
According to him, the judges assessed the innovators based on their ability to identify problems, develop practical solutions, determine their target beneficiaries and markets, demonstrate business viability and show how their ideas could create employment opportunities, particularly for young people and women.
Mr. Maida noted that all the finalists deserved recognition because of the quality of their ideas and performance during the competition.
Earlier, the Country Director of Self Help Africa, Joy Aderele, said the Innovate2Grow project was focused on strengthening food systems while creating sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities for young people in Kano State.
She said the initiative supports innovations across key agricultural value chains, including groundnuts, rice, sesame, sorghum and millet, which she described as critical to food security, employment and economic growth in northern Nigeria.
Ms. Aderele explained that the innovations have the potential to increase productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, improve value addition, strengthen market access and create jobs.
She urged stakeholders to continue creating an enabling environment for young people to develop innovative ideas into sustainable businesses.
The Country Director said the event was not only about selecting winners but also about connecting young innovators with investors, industry leaders, government institutions and other partners who could help them scale their businesses.
The overall winner, Fatima Aminu, said she would invest her five-million-naira grant in purchasing heavy machinery and improved packaging materials to expand her agricultural processing business.
Mrs. Aminu, who currently employs three people, said she hoped to increase her workforce to between ten and twelve employees with the support.
Her business focuses on farming and processing soybean and sorghum into snacks, soybean-peanut blend milk, powder and animal feed.
Also speaking, the Head of Programmes, Agriculture and Livelihood at Self Help Africa, Hajara Mohammed, said the competition was aimed at giving young people opportunities to transform innovative ideas into viable businesses.
She explained that the five-week incubation programme enabled participants to refine their business models and prepare their solutions for the market.
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Mrs. Mohammed stressed that the grants were not free cash handouts, noting that beneficiaries had to pass through application, screening, incubation and pitching stages before receiving the funds.