The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has launched a call for applications for the 2023 Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA). The annual award recognizes African female agripreneurs demonstrating remarkable Innovation and business excellence in agricultural value chains.
The VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) is an AGRA-led recognition initiative launched in 2021 under AGRA’s flagship VALUE4HER initiative that seeks to strengthen women agripreneurship in Africa.
Applications for this award close on 31st May, 2023.
Who is eligible to apply?
- Businesses operating in agriculture or agribusiness value chain;
- The business should be a legal entity registered in a country that is a member state of the African Union;
- The business should be at least 51% owned and managed by one or more women who are citizens of one of the 55 African countries.
Click HERE to start your application now.
Application categories
Young female Agripreneur: This category is for female entrepreneurs under the age of 35, who have demonstrated innovation and leadership in business);
Outstanding Value Adding Enterprise: for female-owned agribusinesses that are increasing the economic value and/or consumer appeal to agricultural products;
Female Ag-Tech Innovator: for those championing technological advancement in agribusiness;
Overall Grand Prize winner: This will be determined as the candidate that demonstrates the best potential for scale.
Prize to be won
The winning agripreneurs will be unveiled during the 2023 AGRF Summit, and will receive a total of $85,000 in grant funding.
About AGRA
Founded in 2006, AGRA, is an African-led African-based organization that seeks to catalyse Agriculture Transformation in Africa. AGRA is focused on putting smallholder farmers at the centre of the continent’s growing economy by transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive into farming as a business that thrives.
About WAYA
The Women Agripreneurs of the Year Awards (WAYA) recognizes African female agripreneurs who have excelled in the agricultural value chains and have demonstrated remarkable innovation by contributing positively towards food security, climate resilience, and women and youth empowerment. The awards aim to create visibility for successful women and promote them as positive role models, trigger innovation, and spur ambition among women agripreneurs.
Last year, Oluyemisi Iranloye, the Managing Director of Psaltry International from Nigeria, scooped the Overall Grand Prize for her cassava processing initiative. Fatou Manneh, the Founder of Jelmah Herbella, from The Gambia, won in the Young Female Agripreneur category; Uwintwari Liliane, the CEO of Mahwi Tech from Rwanda, won the Female Ag Tech Innovator; and Célia Chabi, the CEO of KIEL BIEN-ÊTRE from Benin won in the Outstanding Value Adding Enterprise category.
