AGRA has announced there will be an $85,000 prize for the 2023 winners of the VALUE4HER Women Agripreneurs of the Year Award (WAYA).

WAYA seeks to recognise African female agripreneurs demonstrating remarkable Innovation and business excellence in agricultural value chains.

The winning agripreneurs will be unveiled during the 2023 AGRF Summit, later this year.

Speaking at the event launch, AGRA’s Vice President for Strategic Partnerships & Chief of Party, Vanessa Adams said, “Women's participation and recognition in this agriculture sector has been historically overlooked.

"That's why we believe it's essential to shine a spotlight on women who are making a significant contribution to the agricultural industry through their innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship.”

“By recognising the undeniable contribution of women to African food systems, we hope to inspire and encourage more women to pursue careers in the agricultural sector,” she added.

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.

A statement issued by Jean Kiarie, head of communications, AGRA said to be eligible for WAYA, businesses must be operating in an agriculture or agribusiness value chain, be a legal entity registered in a country that is a member state of the African Union, and at least 51% owned and managed by one or more women who are citizens of one of the 55 African countries.

Founded in 2006, AGRA, is an African-led African-based organisation 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.

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.