Nigeria’s livestock sector, which sustains millions and contributes more than 5% to the country’s GDP, is in urgent need of practical, tech-enabled solutions.

From disease outbreaks and limited market access to farmer-herder conflicts and outdated systems, the problems are deep-rooted. But so are the opportunities.

An initiative organised by the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), a specialised unit under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Hack4Livestock is sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy; AI Collective Nigeria; Luminate and Ford Foundation.

Hack4Livestock is a serious, results-driven hackathon designed to bring together developers, engineers, agricultural professionals, policy experts, and problem-solvers to take on the livestock sector’s most stubborn challenges head-on. 

If you think your solution can improve animal health tracking, stop conflicts before they erupt, or digitise livestock trading for transparency, this event wants you in the room.

Benefits

Participants will gain access to real mentorship, incubation programmes, and a chance at serious funding. A prize pool of N10 million, broken down as follows:

• First place: N5,000,000
• Second place: N3,000,000
• Third place: N2,000,000

Winning teams also receive post-hackathon support to scale their ideas beyond Abuja.

But perhaps the biggest win? You’ll be creating something that can change how millions live, farm, trade, and thrive.

Who Should Apply?

If you think this is only for coders, think again. Hack4Livestock is designed for multidisciplinary collaboration. The call is open to:

• Developers & Engineers: Skilled in AI, IoT, GIS, blockchain, or app development.
• Agricultural Experts & Veterinarians: You understand the real pain points in the field.
• Farmers & Herders: Your experience and insight are invaluable.
• Entrepreneurs & Startups: Especially those already working on AgriTech, sustainability, or inclusion.
• Data Scientists & Analysts: Who can uncover insights and patterns that lead to practical solutions.
• Policy Influencers: Those involved in agriculture, rural development, or peace-building.

No matter your background, if your solution is solid and your intention is real, you’re welcome.

How to Apply

Applications are open now. Head to the website and fill out the form. It won’t take long, but take it seriously, this is a national programme, and only the most committed teams will make it through.

• Deadline: Sunday, 12th May 2025
• Notification of Selection: Thursday, 15th May 2025
• Hackathon Dates: 21st–24th May 2025
• Location: Abuja

If selected, you’ll join other top minds in the capital city for four days of intense problem-solving and collaboration.

The two-day summit is hosted alongside Impact Investing Taskforces in Senegal, Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, under the theme “Actions to Deepen Catalytic Capital in West Africa,” focusing on reviewing progress and commitments made towards deploying catalytic capital to grow SMEs across Africa.

This follows the launch of the Catalytic Capital Africa (2CAfrica) campaign at last year’s inaugural summit.

The West Africa Deal Summit, organised in partnership with LEAP Africa, SIPA, Ford Foundation, The RISA Fund of the United Kingdom International Development, British International Investment, Sterling One Foundation, alongside other key partners, will bring together a diverse audience to develop action-oriented strategies aimed at accelerating the deployment of catalytic capital.

This esteemed assembly includes leaders, impact investors, fund managers, development finance institutions, philanthropic organisations, government representatives, local and international NGOs, and social enterprises.

The inaugural summit welcomed over 300 delegates and received commitments from catalytic capital providers to bridge the $331 billion SME financing gap.

These efforts are crucial for building local financing ecosystems and increasing financing for SMEs in the sub-region.

Etemore Glover, the CEO of Impact Investors Foundation, Nigeria, said,

“Hosting the second edition of the West Africa Deal Summit underscores our strategic role in catalysing cross sub-regional investments. Our commitment to supporting the fundraising needs of innovative enterprises in West Africa aligns seamlessly with the summit’s focus on driving actions for mobilising catalytic capital. The dedication of Nigeria to economic diversification, thriving business environment, trade and investment makes it the perfect destination for inspiring discussion and connections that will lead to meaningful partnerships.”

Amma Lartey, CEO, Impact Investing Ghana, added,

“We are not only addressing the financing needs of SMEs but also laying the groundwork for a resilient and inclusive economic future at this year’s summit. Together with our partners, we are poised to create actionable strategies that will transform the landscape of impact investing in West Africa.”

Yacouba Ouedraogo, member of Impact Investing Taskforce in Burkina Faso, said,

“Building on the success of our inaugural summit, WADS 2024 takes on an expanded agenda, uniting West Africa’s leading impact investors, regulators and industry stakeholders to improve our capacity to unlock more catalytic capital investment for long-term sustainable and inclusive growth.”

Bowel Diop, Member of Impact Investing Taskforce in Senegal, said,

“We need to go beyond conversations to address the barriers that limit the flow of catalytic capital to West Africa. We need more connections, networking, collaboration and collective action to address the challenges we face in mobilising finance.”                                                           

Expanding upon the accomplishments of last year’s gathering, the two-day hybrid summit will feature panel sessions and expert presentations on key themes such as Financing Africa’s Future, Impact Measurement and Management, Mainstreaming Impact Investing Policies, Green financing, ESG and Impact Investing integrations.

There will also be an opportunity for direct engagement with investors and enterprises at the deal rooms, Impact Fund showcase; celebrate impact heroes at the 6th Annual Award for Impact Investing and an opportunity to undertake a Study Tour to Ghana to understand Ghanaian investment landscape.

How to join

Register here.

Many of us who were in this part of the world before 1980 knew what schools were and how governments went the whole hog to make them qualitative while making the academic environment so conducive.

The managers of education did not compromise quality and standards for they were aware that any pupil with the right foundation in primary and secondary education, can venture into the world and be a huge success. And funds for that were adequately utilised.

We had our primary and secondary education almost free. Uniforms, books and meals were provided.

Mattresses, blankets, mosquito nets, detergents, soaps, pocket money and even transport fares were provided for secondary students.

No student bought his chair, desk, or bench.

There was adequate power supply, and pipe-borne water was taken for granted. Nobody knew of boreholes because the central water supply was functioning.

There were generators in case of power failure and the maintenance culture was commendable as well. School children were encouraged to engage in wholesome extracurricular activities.

Up to the mid-80s our primary and secondary schools were bastions of excellence while our tertiary institutions were citadels of learning.

We were prouder to gain admission into a Nigerian university than to go abroad to study, then.

I recall that going to the School of Basic Studies (SBS) of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (ABU) was more prestigious than even going to study in America.

Any student you saw in ABU Zaria then had passed his General Certificate of Education (GCE) with flying colours while only those who failed the West African Examination ran abroad, where in most cases admission criteria were lower than obtainable here.

And so we took the entrance examination to SBS and left our mates who failed their GCE to japa out on a scholarship to study abroad.

But since then, the reverse has become the norm; now studying abroad confers on one a status that studying at home does not.

And all this is no thanks to those in charge of our education who deliberately allowed it to get rotten while profiteering from it.

What do you make of a situation where a person superintending education would take his child to a private school or abroad?

What do you make of a situation where a student here may score nine credits but fall short by a few marks in JAMB to secure admission to study medicine while his classmate with three credits and zero points in JAMB can go abroad to study medicine and return to Nigeria as a medical doctor?

Perhaps, alarmed by the negative trajectory education has taken in this country, a lot of stakeholders who know what education should be like have started declaring, or calling for the declaration of, emergency in the education subsector.

For instance, six months after he was sworn in as governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal declared a state of emergency on education, because, according to him “the neglected education sector in Zamfara affected all levels, from primary to tertiary, with poor learning environment and personnel.”

Similarly, the governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Friday, 14 July, about two months after being sworn in, also declared a state of emergency in the education sector.

The declaration was intended to “hasten actions in delivering services to guarantee access to quality education for all in Kano”.

Likewise, lending a voice to the forum of the wives of state governors who, among others, called on the federal government to declare a state of emergency on education, the International Ford Fellowship Programme Alumni Nigeria (IFFPAN) recently urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency on compulsory basic education programmes across the country.

The IFFPAN, an independent, non-sectarian, nonpartisan, private, non-profit, social justice organisation for Nigerian Alumni (Fellows) of the International Fellowship Programme of Ford Foundation, United States, urged the president to spare no effort in ensuring that young Nigerians have a solid footing for the realisation of their dreams.

However, long before all of them, Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe State had declared a state of emergency on education in his state.

He said that the decision was to consolidate the solid foundation put in place by his predecessor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam.

Unlike others who waited months into their tenure before declaring what is in the interest of their people, he made his declaration in his first inauguration speech as governor on 29 May 2019.

And perhaps they, especially the northern governors, may have some takeaways from his vision. This is because all the states have witnessed a fall in their standard of education.

But, significantly, almost all the states, in one way or the other, have witnessed either insurgency or banditry.

Having known what education used to be and realising its fall in the state, aided by the onslaught of insurgents, Governor Buni wasted no time in establishing new schools, renovating and building new hostels and classrooms in existing schools, building and equipping laboratories and ICT Centres.

His vision led to the recruitment of over 4,000 education staff and the retraining of almost 30,000 others, rather than sacking them and compounding the problem of unemployment and insecurity in the state and nation.

There has also been a significant increase in the number of Yobe undergraduates studying at home and abroad due to improved scholarship programmes.

The governor’s policies led to a drop in the number of out-of-school children by over 75 per cent, according to Dr Mohammed Sani, his former commissioner of education, who oversaw the transformation of almajiri schools into modern tsangaya, as a result of which he is now heading the National Almajiri Commission.