General News
AfDB Names 25 Finalists for $140,000 AgriPitch Competition
The African Development Bank, AfDB, has listed 25 youth-led agriculture sector companies from 14 African countries that have advanced to the finalist round of the bank’s 2022 AgriPitch Competition.
In a statement issued on the website of the AfDB on Tuesday, the bank announced the 25 finalists for the competition.
According to the statement, the finalists will be awarded 140,000 dollars in grants and business skills training.
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It made the announcement in collaboration with the implementing lead Private Equity Support and partner organisations Eldohub and the Private Finance Advisory Network.
The 25 finalists include 17 women-owned or led small and medium enterprises.
Thirteen of them are from francophone countries, while the other 12 are from anglophone countries.
The competition targets African youth aged between 18 to 35 years working in the agricultural value chain.
Edson Mpyisi, the Chief Financial Economist and ENABLE Youth Coordinator, AfDB said the youths showed potential and innovation that existed in Africa.
“These young agripreneurs show great potential and are a testament to the level of innovation that exists across Africa.
“The bank’s support, through the AgriPitch Competition, will boost the bankability of these projects and provide a tangible step toward enhancing agribusiness and food security on the continent,” Mr Mpyisi said.
Furthermore, Diana Gichaga, Managing Partner at Private Equity Support said it was to evaluate potential from across the region.
“Its reassuring to see and evaluate hundreds of great potential investment opportunities from across the region.
“It reaffirms the crucial role that the agricultural sector plays in the African economy and the continued efforts to bring these initiatives to the fore through platforms such as the AgriPitch Competition,” Gichaga said.
The competition received more than 1,000 applications from African “agripreneurs,” including about 250 entries from women-owned or led small and medium enterprises.
The 25 finalists would receive training to build business skills capacity with the requisite tools and knowledge to bolster their investor readiness, financial management, and help them pitch bankable business proposals.
The AgriPitch competition is a central and recurring activity of the AfDB’s ENABLE Youth Programme, sponsored by the Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Trust Fund of the bank.
The 2022 edition is expected to award three start-up categories.
They are: Early start-ups (zero to three years of operation), and mature start-ups (three or more years in operation).
Also included are women-empowered businesses (firms with at least 51 per cent share of women ownership or founded by a woman).
The finalists are expected to pitch their business plans to potential investors in the AgriPitch deal room and be eligible for one-on-one mentorship, as well as access to post-competition digital expertise.
Police in Abuja have uncovered a criminal group making fake diplomatic and government number plates.
Ahmed Sanusi, commissioner of Police FCT, stated this during a press briefing on Friday.
He explained that criminals use these fake plates to dodge security checks and enter restricted areas.
The investigation started soon after Sanusi took office.
He noticed too many unauthorized cars driving around with official government and diplomatic tags.
“I immediately ordered a comprehensive investigation into this disturbing trend,” Sanusi said. He noted that these individuals use the plates as a cover to commit crimes and avoid arrest.
The police have already arrested several people caught using the fake plates.
They have also figured out who is making them.
The manufacturers operate outside Abuja, and police are actively hunting them down.
Sanusi kept their names secret so they would not flee.
He stressed that this is a highly profitable illegal business.
Buyers pay between N500,000 and N1.7 million for a single fake plate.
“This will tell you that they are making such huge expenditure because they have an agenda,” Sanusi explained.
“Now they will face punishment that is bigger than both the cost they incur and the agenda they are planning.”
The commissioner urged residents to report any cars with suspicious diplomatic plates.
He reminded the public that real diplomatic tags follow a very specific format.
A diplomatic number plate in Nigeria is a special vehicle identification tag issued to foreign embassies, high commissions, and accredited international diplomats.
Gavi has approved $500 million to strengthen Nigeria’s immunisation programme, primary healthcare services and long-term vaccine financing.
The move followed high-level discussions between Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, coordinating minister of Health and Social Welfare, ]and Dr. Sania Nishtar, chief executive officer, Gavi in Abuja.
The funding, approved under the Gavi 6.0 programme, will support Nigeria’s efforts to accelerate routine immunisation, sustain polio eradication, expand HPV vaccination, strengthen primary healthcare services, and improve long-term vaccine financing.
Speaking during the meeting, Pate said Nigeria was strengthening its partnership with Gavi to accelerate immunisation, expand primary healthcare services, and ensure sustainable financing for vaccines.
He welcomed Gavi’s country-focused reforms, including the introduction of a predictable five-year funding envelope.
Pate said the US$500 million allocation will enable Nigeria to plan more effectively and deliver life-saving vaccines to more children and vulnerable populations.
The minister also revealed that quarterly visits to primary healthcare centreshad increased from about 10 million in 2023 to more than 45 million, reflecting significant progress in revitalising the country’s primary healthcare system.
Pate welcomed the announcement of a US$600 million pledge by the United States government to Gavi, describing it as a strong endorsement of the alliance’s leadership and the global value of vaccines.
He also commended Nishtar for prioritising Nigeria and praised the closer coordination among Gavi, World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, World Bank, Gates Foundation, and other development partners, describing it as a model that has improved efficiency and aligned support with Nigeria’s health sector reforms.
The minister expressed appreciation to Gavi and its partners for their continued technical and financial support, while calling on state governments to invest more in healthcare and immunisation to complement federal efforts.
For many women, financial independence means the freedom to provide for their families and build a better future. Yet, this remains out of reach due to limited access to opportunities, business support, and secure payment solutions.
Like millions of women in Nigeria determined to be financially independent, Pricillia started with a single PalmPay POS terminal, and as an agent, every successful transaction provided a commission which brought her one step closer to achieving her dream.
Through consistency, discipline, and support from the payment platform, she reinvested her earnings and eventually opened her own provision store.
“I started as just a PalmPay agent with one POS. The consistency of the platform gave me the confidence to expand. With the income I earned, I was able to open my own provision shop.” Priscilla said.
For Priscilla, PalmPay was more than a payment platform. Its secure payment infrastructure gave her the confidence to serve her customers, build trust, and grow her income.
Today, Pricillia has joined the statistics of SMEs powering Nigeria’s economy and PalmPay continues to support her daily operations, helping her receive payments, as she works towards her next business milestone. Her journey is a reminder that when women have access to secure financial tools and opportunities, they can build lasting economic independence.
Speaking on Pricillia’s journey, Femi Hanson, Head of Marketing, PalmPay said: “Providing a secure platform that users can trust, whether for everyday payments or high-value transactions, is central to our vision of advancing financial inclusion. Priscilla’s story reflects our commitment to supporting the ambitions of Nigerians by providing a platform they can rely on to grow their finances. After all, seamless banking begins with security, and every successful transaction reinforces the trust our users place in us.”
Priscilla stands among thousands of PalmPay agents nationwide who are helping to expand financial access across Nigeria while earning commissions to create sustainable sources of income for themselves.
Every payment tells a story. It begins with trust, the confidence that your money is secure and that financial services are accessible. And when that opportunity reaches women, it creates ripple effects that transform families, strengthen communities, and drive economic growth.
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