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Microsoft Nigeria launches agro-tech hackathon for young entrepreneurs

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In a bid to contribute to the development of its host community and empower budding businesses, Microsoft Nigeria has launched its first Agro-Tech Hackathon for young Nigerian agricultural entrepreneurs.

The initiative, according to the company in a release on Monday, is “targeted at providing homegrown scalable platforms by Nigerian farmers and consumers, to access farm produce, as well as helping to improve digital value chain processes and reducing agricultural wastes and losses.”

“The goal of the hackathon is to develop a repository of innovative and inclusive solutions to the myriad of challenges in the agricultural sector.

“These solutions in the long run, will empower farmers economically and improve the profitability of their agri-business by facilitating easier and faster consumer access to farm produce and reduce wastage of perishable farm items,” the foremost digital company said.

The competition is open to Nigerians between the ages of 18 to 45 and the applicants must have demonstrated interest/experience in technology, agriculture and/or entrepreneurship.

The successful applicants will be divided into teams during the Hackathon stage, with each team undergoing a 4-week mentorship programme where they will be mentored by world-class agro-specialists, entrepreneurs, and training teams from Microsoft.

At the end of the competition, three teams with the most outstanding solutions will be selected for funding and technical support by Microsoft and its partners, sharing a sum of N5m with other consolation prizes and recognitions by Microsoft and their partners.

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Nigeria’s food delivery startup Chowdeck raises $2.5m to optimise operations

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Nigeria’s on-demand food delivery startup, Chowdeck, has announced securing the sum of $2.5 million in seed funding that will enable it optimise operations and support its expansion plans into more cities across the country.

Femi Aluko, the CEO and co-founder of Chowdeck who made the announcement on Thursday, said the funds which came from investors including Y Combinator, Goodwater Capital, FounderX Ventures, Hoaq Fund, Levare Ventures, True Culture Funds and Haleakala Ventures, will will enable the startup to double down on its market leadership in the cities they are already operating in as well as lay the groundwork for further expansion into other Nigerian cities.

“We know that Nigerians love good food, and we just want to make it as easy as possible for them to access the food they desire,” Aluko said.

Chowdeck was birthed to fulfil this purpose and we are committed to delivering truly excellent experiences for our customers, vendors and riders.

“We are pleased with the success we have achieved to date and excited to have raised these funds that will enable us to replicate that success in more parts of Nigeria, and add value to our customers, vendors, and riders in as many ways as we can,” Aluko added.

Chowdeck which was launched in Lagos in October 2021, allows customers to order meals from a variety of restaurants and have them delivered to their doorstep within 30 minutes.

A participant in the Y Combinator accelerator in 2022, Chowdeck has acquired more than 500,000 users and more than 3,000 riders, serving eight Nigerian cities including Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Port-Harcourt, Ilorin, Benin City, Abeokuta and Asaba.

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Tanzania’s horticultural industry gets $2.1m grant from TradeMark Africa to boost market expansion

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The Tanzanian horticultural industry has recieved a grant of $2.1 million from TradeMark Africa to enable it boost its market expansion.

According to TradeMark Africa’s Regional Director for East and Central Africa, Ms. Monica Hangi, the Tanzania Horticultural Association (TAHA) and TradeMark signed a grant agreement to initiate the Phase II of their collaborative project

“The Phase I of the project which ran from January 2019 to June 2023, yielded tangible results, with 27,854 farmers (35% women, 65% men, and 40% youth) linked to markets, and approximately 50,000 tons of horticultural products worth roughly TZS 42.7 billion (US$18.3 million) sold.

“This second phase, backed by a $2.1 million (Tzs 5.4billion) grant from TMA funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Norway, and Ireland, spans three years and focuses on advancing market access, promoting sustainable trade practices, and empowering local farmers in the horticultural industry,” she said in a statement on Wednesday.

Hangi noted that despite notable successes recorded with the first phase, the sector continues to face substantial challenges, including limited financing access, climate change impacts, and inadequate market information, which could hinder growth.

“These challenges necessitate a united approach from both the government and private sector, incorporating policy support, research and development investment, and development sector initiatives aimed at improving market and credit access for farmers,” she said.

She added that the grant highlighted the significance of supporting the horticultural sector, particularly in mitigating unemployment among youth and women.

“Our commitment through this substantial grant is to upscale production, increase export volumes, and, consequently, job opportunities, thereby reinforcing Tanzania’s standing in the global horticultural market,” said Hangi

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