Heifer Nigeria seeks climate-smart solutions for smallholder farmers

…unveils 2026 AYuTe challenge

Heifer Nigeria has launched the 2026 edition of the AYuTe Nigeria Challenge, calling on young agritech innovators to develop climate-smart, technology-driven solutions capable of closing the living income gap for millions of smallholder farmers across the country.

The launch event, held on Thursday in Abuja, brought together youth innovators, policymakers, development partners and agribusiness stakeholders under the theme “Catalyzing Youth-Led Innovation to Transform Nigeria’s Food Systems.”

The initiative is part of Heifer International’s broader AYuTe (Agriculture, Youth and Technology) programme, which supports market-tested innovations aimed at strengthening Africa’s food systems.

Building on the continental AYuTe Africa Challenge, which awards more than US$1 million annually to agritech innovators, the national competitions, including AYuTe Nigeria, offer prizes of up to US$40,000 to winning startups, alongside technical support and strategic partnerships.

Speaking at a press conference during the launch, Lekan Tobe, Country Director of Heifer Nigeria, said the challenge reflects Heifer’s long-standing mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the earth, with a strong focus on empowering smallholder farmers.

“Our focus is on smallholder farmers principally, and we recognise that they need other actors to help activate and improve their productivity and income.

“That is where our youth agripreneurs come in. Through AYuTe Nigeria, we are creating sustainable pathways to prosperity by transforming agriculture into a hub of innovation and profitability,” Tobe said.

He clarified that AYuTe, short for Agriculture, Youth and Technology represents what he described as the most critical intersection in Nigeria’s agricultural economy today.

According to him, harnessing the energy of youth and the power of innovation is essential to addressing persistent challenges within the sector.

“With over 200 million people and youth accounting for more than 60 per cent of the population, Nigeria has immense agricultural potential.

“The challenges facing our food systems from climate change and supply chain inefficiencies to access to finance and premium markets, require bold, technology-driven solutions,” Tobe said.

The 2026 challenge, he noted, will prioritise innovations that are climate-smart, scalable and farmer-ready, delivering tangible value to Nigeria’s nearly 40 million smallholder farmers.

He added that beyond funding, Heifer Nigeria will provide technical resources and partnerships to help successful innovators scale their solutions across the agricultural value chain.

Read also: Heifer drives irrigation farming, distributes solar-powered pumps to Nasarawa farmers

Tobe described the 2026 edition as the most ambitious yet, pointing to growing collaboration with government ministries and development partners. He also encouraged Nigerian youth to take advantage of the opportunity

“Each year, the AYuTe Challenge gets better. This time, we have opened the space even wider to partners who believe in the power of youth in agriculture,” he added

Also speaking, Chuba Ezeigwe, Communications Manager, Heifer Nigeria said as part of Heifer’s global mission to end hunger and poverty, the 2026 AYuTe Nigeria Challenge prioritizes climate-smart innovations that boost smallholder productivity and income, build environmental resilience, and provide digital access to markets, information, and innovative finance.

He added that the AYuTe Nigeria Challenge, which began in 2022 and has been held annually, has attracted over 2000 entries since its inception.

According to him, applications are now open to Nigerian citizens aged 18-35 who lead registered agritech enterprises with a proven impact on smallholder farmers and interested applicants can access the application portal.

Testifying to the impact of the programme, Seyi Alabi, founder of Crop2Cash and first-place winner of the 2025 AYuTe Nigeria Challenge, said the support received from Heifer Nigeria significantly accelerated the company’s growth.

“Since winning, we’ve expanded our operations and formed partnerships we never imagined in such a short time.

“We’ve partnered with organisations, expanded our warehouse capacity from five to nine across Nigeria, and grown into new regions such as Kano. We’ve also developed a new product, all made possible by the AYuTe experience,” Alabi said.