The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and Jesnoch International Limited have opened applications for the Annual Youth in Agribusiness Innovation Contest, a national competition to train and finance young Nigerians running agribusinesses.

The programme is being delivered by Plus Incubation Hub Nigeria Limited under an AGRA-funded project, “Systems Strengthening for BDS Provision and Access to Finance for Ag-SMEs.”

Applications opened on October 8 and close on October 16, through www.youthagriinnovate.ng. The competition is open to Nigerians aged 18 to 35, from the idea stage to established and growing enterprises.

Ten winners will receive seed funding and mentorship, as well as introductions to financiers and off-takers. Thirty finalists will pitch their businesses in Lagos on October 29, while prizes will be presented at the National MSME Conference scheduled for November 8 to 10 in Lagos.

Applicants who pass the eligibility check will be invited to a free virtual training on Saturday, October 17, covering agribusiness fundamentals, financial literacy, access to finance and investment readiness. Sessions will be recorded for those who cannot attend live.

A further 120 young people, 40 each in Niger, Nasarawa and Kaduna states, will get two days of in-person training on October 21 and 22. Places will be allocated to eligible applicants residing in the states based on the order of verified, complete submissions. Each state will reserve at least 12 places for women and eight for rural participants. The organisers said selection for the training would be separate from the contest’s judging process and would not give participants a competitive advantage.

Although the competition is open nationwide, 60 per cent of finalists and training places will be allocated to applicants from Niger, Nasarawa and Kaduna, the three focal states of the parent project. Applicants from other states will compete for the remaining places under the same assessment criteria.

To qualify, applicants must have their businesses registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) as a business name or company, with SMEDAN as a micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME), or through membership of a registered cooperative society. The organisers said the requirement was intended to ensure that recipients of seed funding could legally receive and account for the money.

They added that cooperatives were included because many rural youth farmers trade through them. However, applications must be submitted by individuals rather than groups.