Anthonia Duru
With the goal of ending hunger in Nigeria by 2030, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), with five key investors recently, in Lagos State, had the Zero Hunger Sprint pitch were 10 start-up entrepreneurs showcased their proposals at a pitch event which had in attendance representatives TGI Group, Heineken / Nigerian Breweries PLC, Promasidor, Tolaram Group, and Guinness Nigeria Plc as sponsors.
WFP is the largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide. Together with other stakeholders, WFP established the Zero Hunger Roundtable, a public-private initiative bringing together key actors who can develop collective pathways to achieve Zero Hunger in Nigeria.
The Zero Hunger Sprint was launched to foster innovative approaches to end hunger, championed by Nigeria’s entrepreneurs.
“The tremendous challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed the fragility of our food systems and it has affected the livelihood of many households. Farmers are struggling due to insecurity,” said Ifeyinwa Ugochukwu, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation at the event.
Country Director of UN WFP, Paul Howe said, the initiative is set to find practical solutions to hunger in Nigeria.
Howe speaking with journalists said, “I am delighted the way it turned out. when we started we thought otherwise but the commitment we found in the industry is top-notch.”
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Four winners emerged includes; Zowasel a multi-sided marketplace that provides quality crop testing and connects small growers with access to premium buyers the company got N42million, Colourful giggles nutrition a natural baby food company working to fight hidden hunger got N21 million, Agrorite a company which enables smallholders famers access credits, data driven advisory services and premium markets needed to help them have a successful farming cycle got N21 million and Koolnoks a company using a patenable technology based on sun and water also got N21 million funding. Pricepally and Crop2cash got N10million and N5 million respectively.
The Entrepreneurs got prize fund of $250,000 receive mentorship from investor company, and participate in a six-months’ Sprint Programme designed by WFP.
WFP is expanding its programme in Nigeria to reach people in towns and cities – where millions of people are threatened with hunger and malnutrition due to the socio-economic fallout.
WFP has been transferring operational know-how, providing technical support to strengthen food security data collection, enhancing the emergency response at displaced sites (including through food distribution), and providing safe and reliable air transport services to the humanitarian community.
