The US Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched the USAID/Nigeria COVID-19 Food Security Challenge, which will offer US$3 million in funding and technical assistance to Nigerian companies mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s agri-food systems.
Nigeria is presently confronted with a food security crisis that is deepened by COVID-19 global pandemic and its negative consequences on the food value chain in the country. Millions of people, and especially the most vulnerable households, are threatened with hunger and malnutrition due to the socio-economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and large-scale disruption to food production, processing, distribution, and marketing systems.
In response to this crisis, USAID is looking to collaborate with commercially viable youth-led and mid-stage companies that are already operating in food production, processing, or distribution across Nigeria. Applications are open to youth-led and mid-stage companies.
The COVID-19 Food Security Challenge anticipates awarding 15 to 25 companies up to US$75,000 each and 10 to 15 mid-stage companies up to US$150,000 each. The winners will receive funding and technical assistance to rapidly expand their food production or food security activities to mitigate the effect of COVID-19 on Nigeria’s food value chain and improve the resilience of vulnerable households to the negative impacts of the pandemic.
Applications close on May 9.
