Confronted by rising temperatures, erratic rainfall and long-standing weaknesses in its food system, Nigeria is increasingly betting on its young innovators to help secure the future of agriculture. That strategy took shape this week with the launch of the AYuTe Nigeria 2026 Challenge, a national initiative offering $40,000 in grants for climate-smart agritech solutions aimed at supporting smallholder farmers.
Announced in Abuja, the programme reflects a growing recognition that Nigeria’s agricultural transformation will depend not only on public policy and investment, but also on locally developed technologies that can help farmers adapt to climate change while remain productive and profitable. Smallholder farmers account for the bulk of Nigeria’s food production, yet many operate with limited access to modern tools, finance and markets.
The AYuTe initiative, short for Agriculture, Youth, and Technology, is designed to identify and support youth-led enterprises with proven, farmer-ready innovations that address gaps across agricultural value chains. While the regional AYuTe Africa Challenge awards more than $1 million annually to top agritech innovators across the continent, the Nigeria competition focuses on solutions rooted in local realities, offering grants of up to $40,000 within the country.
Speaking at the launch, Lekan Tobe, Nigeria country director for Heifer International, said the 2026 edition will prioritise technically sound, climate-smart solutions capable of improving resilience, productivity and livelihoods. He noted that the programme is structured not only to reward innovation, but to help young enterprises mature into sustainable businesses.
Under the challenge, the grand prize winner will receive $20,000, with $12,000 and $8,000 awarded to the first and second runners-up respectively. Beyond the cash grants, winners will receive post-award business advisory support to help translate their ideas into scalable growth strategies.
“Our food systems require more than incremental change,” Tobe said. “They require transformation driven by innovation and youth leadership.”
Since its launch in 2022, AYuTe Nigeria has drawn more than 2,000 applications, signalling strong interest among young Nigerians seeking to use technology to solve everyday farming challenges. Many of the entries focus on improving access to inputs, data, storage, logistics and markets, areas that remain critical bottlenecks for farmers across the country.
Chuba Ezeigwe, communications manager at Heifer Nigeria, said the programme is part of a broader effort to position young people as central drivers of agricultural change. He explained that the initiative prioritises solutions that respond directly to farmer needs while creating employment and economic opportunities in rural communities.
“AYuTe is about seeing the big picture,” Ezeigwe said. “By amplifying youth-led innovations, we are showing that young people are the architects of Nigeria’s agri-future.”
The 2026 challenge will culminate in a grand finale in May, when shortlisted finalists will pitch their innovations for a share of the funding pool. For Nigeria, organisers say, the competition represents more than a grant programme. It is an experiment in whether youth-driven, climate-smart technology can help rebuild agriculture for a warmer, more uncertain future.
