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Pan-African venture capital firm Askya Investment Partners has launched the Askya AI Growth Platform, a zero-equity initiative aimed at scaling early-stage artificial intelligence startups across the continent.
Unveiled on stage at the Deep Learning Indaba 2026 conference at Pan-Atlantic University in Lagos, the six-week hybrid program is designed to help high-potential African AI companies reach continental scale.The platform will select an inaugural cohort of 10 AI-native startups ranging from pre-seed to Series A that already have a live product and proven commercial traction.
Tosin Eniolorunda, Founder and Group CEO of Moniepoint, serves as the honorary chair of the inaugural cohort.The program is free for selected startups, with no equity or fees required to participate.However, participating founders will be eligible for up to $200,000 in equity investment from Askya’s funds.
The initiative addresses key structural hurdles facing African tech ventures, including access to distribution, infrastructure, and expert guidance.The curriculum includes masterclasses, one-on-one coaching, and corporate meetups focusing on technology, product development, governance, and sales, along with compute and cloud resources.
Babacar Seck, Founder and Managing Partner at Askya Investment Partners, highlighted the strategic importance of building local technology capabilities.He noted that Africa must actively produce AI technology to capture its economic value rather than simply remaining an importer.Pointing to African Development Bank estimates, Askya emphasized that inclusive AI adoption could add up to $1 trillion to Africa’s GDP by 2035.
Designed and delivered in partnership with Magna Collective, the program also collaborates with Big Cabal Media and Deep Learning Indaba.The public reveal and kickoff of the inaugural cohort will take place at TechCabal’s Moonshot event in Lagos, with additional ecosystem and policy partners scheduled to be announced ahead of the October reveal.
Interested founders can review eligibility requirements and submit their applications directly through theAskya AI Growth Platform application portal.Applications close on September 30.
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IFAD, Equity Group’s Launch $200m Climate Resilience Fund to Benefit 260,000 Farmers
NEMA Unveils 2026 National Essay Competition Winners
Africa
A $200 million private sector-led financing mechanism targeting smallholder producers and rural enterprises across East Africa has been officially operationalized. Unveiled on September 4 on the sidelines of the Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, the Africa Rural Climate Adaptation Finance Mechanism (ARCAFIM) aims to bridge critical adaptation gaps and make rural climate resilience a viable business line for local banks.
Over the next 12 years, the initiative is projected to directly reach approximately 260,000 smallholder farmers and 500 rural micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises across Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Women and youth will be prioritized, making up at least 80 percent of targeted beneficiaries.
The mechanism is jointly led by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Equity Group, with concessional backing and co-financing from the Green Climate Fund, the Nordic Development Fund, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Denmark, and the European Union.
The financial framework combines $180 million in lending capital with approximately $20 million dedicated to technical assistance. Equity Group is contributing $90 million directly from its own balance sheet alongside concessional funds. Through four planned investment cycles over its 12-year lifespan, the lending pool is projected to generate roughly $266 million in total adaptation loans. To enable this, the capital stack utilizes a blended finance structure featuring a first-loss layer absorbed by international partners, a mezzanine risk layer shared with Equity Group, and senior risk held by the bank.
Loan allocations will target practical climate adaptation infrastructure, including solar irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting, climate-resilient livestock management, post-harvest storage solutions, and renewable energy for agro-processing. In addition to direct lending, the technical assistance arm will support microfinance institutions and Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations to build institutional capacity for originating adaptation loans, establishing a standardized climate adaptation taxonomy across regional financial networks.
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Business
The National Emergency Management Agency has officially announced the winners of its 2026 National Essay Competition, honoring young minds across the country for their contributions toward disaster preparedness, emergency response, and climate resilience.
In the NYSC Emergency Management Vanguards category, where participants explored the theme of technology’s role and challenges in disaster response, Dabagal Marylyn Mialmoen emerged as the grand winner.Abiola Olamide Zion and Stanley Sunday Iserhienrhien earned the second and third positions, respectively.
The competition extended to two additional academic tiers, highlighting critical themes tailored to each educational level.
In the Senior Secondary School category, centered on youth responsibility in reducing disaster risks, Orire Fareedah Omolola of Murphy Tonia Schools in Lagos secured first place.Onminye Olive of Faith Academy in Abuja placed second, and Isah Zainab Ise of Government Secondary School in Gwarinpa, Abuja, claimed third place.
In the Tertiary Institution category, which tasked undergraduates with analyzing climate change alongside disaster management, Adelanwa Emmanuel Oluwatosin from the University of Ibadan captured the top prize.Memunat Olawore Omobolanle of the Nigerian Law School Lagos Campus secured second place, while Aminu Ibrahim Bello from Umaru Musa Yar’adua University in Katsina finished third.
The nationwide initiative carried a total prize pool of three million Naira, structured evenly across the three categories.Top performers in each group will receive five hundred thousand Naira for first place, three hundred thousand Naira for second place, and two hundred thousand Naira for third place.Following a comprehensive assessment process based on topic relevance, original thinking, and structural clarity, the agency will present the cash prizes at an official ceremony on Thursday, September 10, 2026, at its headquarters in Abuja.
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Business
Sasakawa Africa Calls for More Investment to Help Smallholder Farmers, Agribusinesses
The Sasakawa Africa Association has called for increased government investment in agricultural research, extension and advisory services to help smallholder farmers and agribusinesses adopt new technologies, improve productivity and participate more effectively in growing food markets.
The Nigeria Country Director of SAA, Dr Godwin Atser, made the call during an interview with journalists on the sidelines of the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.
Atser said agricultural innovation would have limited impact if research findings and technologies did not reach the farmers and agricultural enterprises that needed them.
He urged the government to strengthen agricultural extension systems and create effective channels for transferring innovations developed by research institutions to farmers.
“I think we need to see how the government puts resources in extension so that available innovations and technologies that have been developed in the research institutes in the country can actually reach the farmer,” he said.
For smallholder farmers and agribusiness MSMEs, stronger extension services could provide access to information on improved production methods, climate-smart agriculture, improved seeds and other technologies that can help reduce production challenges and improve business performance.
Atser said stronger extension systems, supported by digital technologies and strategic partnerships, would be essential to closing the gap between agricultural research and adoption at the farm level.
SAA’s interventions in Nigeria currently include regenerative agriculture, market-oriented agriculture, nutrition-sensitive agriculture, capacity building, digital extension and inclusion.
The organisation is also promoting improved seed varieties, climate-smart practices, youth participation and livestock development.
Atser said the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum had provided SAA with an opportunity to exchange knowledge with agricultural stakeholders, explore complementary initiatives and identify partnerships that could strengthen food systems across Africa.
He said some of the innovative approaches discussed at the forum could be adapted and scaled in Nigeria.
The organisation is also exploring partnerships with governments, research institutions and development partners to expand its programmes. Atser disclosed that SAA had held discussions with the Jigawa State Government on expanding its agricultural interventions in the state.
He also identified the International Rice Research Institute, Somalia and Senegal as potential partners and areas of interest for expanding SAA’s programmes.
Atser noted that funding from the Nippon Foundation remained an importantthat stronger partnerships with state governments and other institutions would be necessary to increase the organisation’s impact
Speaking on Africa’s food systems transformation, Atser said the continent had made progress over the past two decades but continued to face major challenges in tackling hunger and food insecurity.
He called on African governments to increase budgetary allocations to agriculture, noting that only a few countries had achieved the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme target of allocating 10 per cent of national budgets to the sector.
He said Nigeria had made progress in the past but needed to accelerate investment and implementation to avoid stagnation in the agricultural sector.
For agricultural MSMEs, increased public investment could have implications beyond primary production, supporting businesses involved in processing, input supply, logistics, storage, livestock, technology and other parts of the agricultural value chain.
Atser also called for greater investment in young people and improved access to digital agricultural services, particularly for smallholder farmers.
According to him, farmers across different categories need access to relevant information, technologies and advisory services to build more resilient, productive and inclusive food systems.
For Nigeria’s growing agribusiness ecosystem, connecting farmers to research, digital tools, markets and business support could help turn agricultural innovation into stronger enterprises, increased productivity and new employment opportunities.
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