GAIN, NCIC award $16,000 to Nigerian innovators for safe, nutritious foods

In a bid to encourage the consumption of safe and nutritious foods in Nigeria, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) have granted four Nigerian innovators $16,000.

The Country Director of GAIN, Mr. Michael Ojo, disclosed that the initiative aims at transforming Nigeria’s food systems, marking the successful conclusion of the Agribusiness Innovation Challenge.

The challenge, conducted under the Business Support workstream of the Strengthening Nutrition in Priority Staples (SNIPS) project, was designed to enhance the production, commercialization, and consumption of safe and nutritious foods in Nigeria.

Ojo revealed that the challenges faced by the agriculture sector, which represents over a quarter of Nigeria’s GDP, include infrastructure gaps and post-harvest losses.

Persecondnews reports that the Agribusiness Innovation Challenge served as a call to youth-led agri-tech start-ups to harness creativity in developing digital and hardware supply chain innovations.

The winners of the challenge will receive ongoing support from GAIN to implement their solutions in Kaduna, Nasarawa, Benue, and Oyo States, impacting local communities.

The four innovative solutions include an automatic and mobile “Cassava Peeling and Washing Machine,” a dual-purpose display chiller and food preservation solution, a platform bridging the gap between farmers and consumers, and a Web3 commodity marketplace providing market access for traders dealing in nutritious commodities.

GAIN, a Swiss-based foundation that debuted at the UN in 2002, focuses on reducing human suffering due to malnutrition.

The World Bank and the Federal Government support the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC), which works to develop and implement solutions to climate change challenges in Nigeria by giving viable green businesses venture development, capacity building, market access, and funding.