Harambe announces winners for their inaugural Agri-business competition

Harambe Nigeria, an organization focused on encouraging youth to become agents of change within the agricultural sector has finally announced the 3 winners of their inaugural agricultural business plan competition for young people between the ages of 21 and 35.

The competition received entries in a wide array of agricultural activities including commercial production of broilers and turkey, wholesale production of catfish, a locally fabricated system called Agro waste processor for management of agro waste, bio fertiliser production and generation of Methane gas for cooking, lightening and electricity for its users, fish farming consultancy, urban agriculture through the use of vertical farming houses/homes in Lagos, vertical farming (multi-storey), roof farming, floor farming, maintenance services, home farm, produce retailing, amongst others.

27 applicants were shortlisted and they now moved to the next stage of the competition which is the receipt of a full business plan. The final stage was one of rigorous one-on-one interviews and defense of business plans. The judges including Mosunmola Umoru of Honeysuckles PTL, Tosin Anibaba of the Fate Foundation, Lucy Kanu of Ideabuilders, an agriculture NGO and Peter Bankole, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Development Services (EDS) at the Pan-African University. After this stage, 11 Candidates made the final list and 3 winners emerged.

The winners received prizes up to the value of 7.5 million Naira. In order to ensure that the winning ideas are successfully implemented and sustained, Harambe Nigeria will be coupling a financial reward with extensive training at renowned institutions such as the EDS and the Fate Foundation. The winning entrepreneurs will receive mentorship and their financial reward will be well managed at specific banks to ensure that they are directed towards the initiative.

“We were looking for innovative and sustainable ideas from young upstart entrepreneurs as well as established entrepreneurs with a maximum of one year’s work experience and we are quite happy with the three winners of the competition” the organisation’s President, Tola Sunmonu, said.

This year, Harambe Nigeria’s annual symposium made the necessary transition from raising much needed awareness, to facilitating youth involvement in the sector and supporting those already engaged. In order to illustrate this transition, Harambe’s third annual symposium was themed – “Watering the Seeds of Tomorrow“.

The 3 winners; Ikpegbu Tochukwu of Emmanuel Resources in first place, Adeoye Olukayode and Olakunle Ajayi of Wales and Chase in second place and, third place – Adesope Samuel of Adesope Honeywell farms were announced and presented with their prizes.

In her closing remarks, Tola Sunmola shared that “We are aware of the immense potential that Harambe Nigeria’s 3rd annual symposium has to revolutionize the way Nigerian youth engage with the Agricultural sector” she said. “And we are fired up by the possibilities”.