AGRA

The Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) has announced the 2022 edition’s Top 15 applicants.  The outstanding women agripreneurs were selected by a panel of independent judges under three categories; Outstanding Value-adding Enterprise, Female Ag Tech Innovator, and Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star). The selected Top applicants are from nine African countries: Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The applicants were selected from a total of 1478 applicants from 38 African countries.

The Winners will be announced during the AGRF Summit at the First Ladies’ Special Event on 7 September 2022. The event will be presided over by attending First Ladies from across Africa. The awards ceremony will take place physically at the Kigali Convention Center, Kigali, Rwanda. The theme of the session is: ‘Increasing Access to Healthy Diets in the AU Year of Nutrition’. The ultimate winners will each receive a cash prize of USD 20, 000.  

WAYA is an AGRA-led recognition scheme that was launched and implemented in 2021, with very promising prospects for reaching and recognizing more women agribusiness leaders in subsequent years. TheAwards seek to spotlight excelling female agribusiness leaders and promote them as positive role models. “Given the undeniable contribution of women to African agriculture and rural economies, a female-focused award scheme is an important way to showcase success – AGRA remains steadfast in its efforts to promote and support women’s agripreneurship in Africa,” said Vanessa Adams, Strategic Partnerships & Chief of Party.

Meet the WAYA 2022 Top 15 Applicants (names in alphabetical order):

Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star)

1. Aline Gaju; Managing Director, Germin8 LTD (Rwanda)
2. Edith Mpoto; Managing Director, Nkhotakota Steadfast Cooperations for Youth (Malawi)
3. Fatou Manneh; Founder, Jelmah Herbella (the Gambia)
4. Janefrances Nkiruka Ighosewe;  Founder and CEO, Something Lite Greek Yogurt (Nigeria)
5. Vanessa Aisha Limann; CEO, Vanelim Enterprise (Ghana)

Outstanding value-adding enterprise

1. Célia Chabi; CEO, KIEL BIEN-ÊTRE (Benin)
2. Dorah Kwamboka Momanyi; Founder and CEO, iPop Africa Limited (Kenya)
3. Judith Marera;  Founder and CEO, Lanforce Trading (Pvt) Ltd (Zimbabwe)
4. Oluwaseun Sangoleye; Mum in Chief/CEO, Baby Grubz (Nigeria
5. Precious Awesome; CEO, Awesome God Agro Allied Industries Limited (Nigeria)

Female Ag Tech Innovator

1. Esther Irine Nell; Chairperson, Pella Food Garden Cooperative (South Africa)
2. Ogola Lois Kange; CEO Smiley’z Mobile Kitchen Limited (Smiley’z Foods) (Nigeria)
3. Oluyemisi Iranloye; Managing Director, Psaltry International (Nigeria)
4. Susan Kahumbu; CEO, Green Dreams TECH Ltd (Kenya)
5. Uwintwari Liliane; CEO,Mahwi Tech (Rwanda)

To register to attend the AGRF Summit and the WAYA Awards, please click here: https://bit.ly/3vudV70

About AGRA

Founded in 2006, AGRA, is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyze Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the center of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives. As the sector that employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers, AGRA recognizes that developing smallholder agriculture into a productive, efficient, and sustainable system is essential to ensuring food security, lifting millions out of poverty, and driving equitable growth across the continent. www.agra.org

More information:

Mejury Shiri, mshiri@agra.org; Rebecca Weaver, rweaver@agra.org