Their innovations range from processing surplus tomatoes and converting cactus fruit into juice to digital marketplaces connecting farmers directly with buyers. The initiative comes as an estimated 26.9% of food produced in West Africa is lost before reaching retail markets, while about 19.9 million children under five in the region suffer from stunting. Beyond seed funding, the winners will receive business mentorship and access to investors, school-feeding networks and public procurement opportunities, as GAIN seeks to help youth-led enterprises scale commercially while making nutritious food more accessible.
Eight young entrepreneurs from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal have won regional awards under an agrifood innovation programme aimed at improving access to nutritious food, reducing post-harvest losses and expanding opportunities for youth-led businesses.
The winners of the 2026 NourishNext West Africa Youth Agrifood Innovation Challenge will each receive a $5,000 seed grant, alongside business mentorship, technical training and support to access markets and investors, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has announced.
The competition, implemented by GAIN and Nutrition Connect in collaboration with the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement and regional partners, attracted more than 1,100 applications from the four countries. Nearly 40% of applicants were women.
The programme targets weaknesses in West Africa’s fruit and vegetable supply chains, where inadequate storage, processing and transportation infrastructure contribute to food losses while limiting farmers’ incomes and consumers’ access to affordable nutritious products.
GAIN Benin Country Director Françoise Sayi said the competition had attracted substantial interest from young entrepreneurs. “West Africa’s young people are not waiting to be part of the future; they are already creating it. Our responsibility is to ensure that their ideas do not stop at innovation, but receive the investment, mentorship, partnerships and market opportunities needed to grow into successful enterprises,” she said.
GAIN Nigeria Country Director Michael Ojo said the selected businesses offered practical responses to food and nutrition challenges and would need stronger market connections to expand their reach. “The young entrepreneurs we celebrate today have demonstrated that innovation can deliver practical solutions to some of West Africa’s most pressing food and nutrition challenges.”
The programme’s next phase will seek to link participating enterprises with school-feeding programmes, public procurement systems and social-protection initiatives, creating potential institutional markets for their products.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 26.9% of food produced in West Africa was lost between production and retail in 2023, compared with a global average of 13.3%. Fruits and vegetables have the highest global post-harvest loss rate, at 25.4%, reflecting their perishability and handling requirements.
The nutritional challenges are also significant. UNICEF estimates that about 19.9 million children under five in West Africa were affected by stunting in 2024, highlighting the region’s persistent child nutrition challenges.
The eight winners were selected following a multistage evaluation process. About 30 semi-finalists in each participating country pitched their businesses to expert panels, which selected 10 national winners. The two highest-ranked entrepreneurs from each country advanced to the regional competition in Dakar.
The awards ceremony brought together government officials, development agencies, investors and private-sector representatives, including ECOWAS, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Swiss Embassy in Senegal and GAIN.
“In Senegal, our ambition is clear: nutrition must be at the heart of development,” said Mbaye Sène, executive secretary of Senegal’s National Nutrition Development Council. “NourishNext reflects this ambition: ensuring that innovations developed by our young people not only create successful businesses, but also contribute to a better-nourished and healthier society.”
The winners include Kouassi Étienne Alexis Adanle of Benin’s Qualipharm SAS, which produces Calimi, a complementary infant porridge made with baobab fruit powder, vitamins and minerals.
Joan Inès Aoukpo Fifamè Henry Gad, also from Benin, founded JHINES FACTORIES, which processes surplus tomatoes into purée and concentrate under its POWER TOM brand. The company also converts tomato-processing by-products into soap.
In Côte d’Ivoire, Natogoma Yiré Coulibaly’s Yeleba Groupe produces infant flours and purées from locally sourced fruits, vegetables, cereals and legumes under the JASMADE brand.
Makany Touré’s AfterMarket operates a digital marketplace connecting agricultural producers with commercial buyers. The platform redirects produce that fails to meet premium-market standards to alternative buyers, reducing waste and providing farmers with additional sales opportunities.
Nigeria’s Oluwakemi Olaniyan founded Nutraboom Nutrition, which makes Nutrova, a powdered complementary food combining grains, animal-source foods, fruits, vegetables and seeds.
Sheila Chukwulozie’s PÉPÉRÉMPÉ Ltd processes locally grown chilli peppers into shelf-stable sauces, oils and condiments, extending the shelf life of a perishable agricultural product.
In Senegal, Elhadji Malick Sagne’s Cactus Innovation processes cactus fruit into juice and marmalade and is exploring the conversion of production residues into biogas and organic fertiliser.
Ndèye Fatou Ndiaye’s OKO LANQ operates a digital harvest-to-order platform connecting fruit and vegetable producers directly with consumers.
Each business will receive tailored support in nutrition, food systems, finance and enterprise development. The programme also plans to connect the companies with school-feeding networks, investors and public procurement opportunities.
Pietro Mona, Switzerland’s ambassador to Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali and Mauritania, said supporting young entrepreneurs could help create jobs and strengthen regional food systems.
“Investing in youth means investing in the future of West Africa,” he said, adding that initiatives such as NourishNext could help young businesses improve nutrition and build more resilient food systems.
Eve Muhoracyeye-Gossiaux, regional representative for Francophone Africa at the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement, said the businesses needed to be incorporated into national nutrition programmes to achieve lasting results.
“These young entrepreneurs from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Senegal demonstrate that improving nutrition can also create jobs and reduce food losses,” she said.
She called on development partners to sustain support for the businesses and expand opportunities for young entrepreneurs across Africa.
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