The Herald
Herald Reporter
A Zimbabwean businesswoman, Mrs Judith Marera, has been nominated for the Women’s Agripreneur of the Year Award (WAYA) for 2022, along with 14 other women from across the continent.
The award winners for three categories will be announced at an event at the Kigali Convention Centre in Rwanda on 7 September.
Ms Marera is the founder and chief executive of Lanforce Energy (Pvt) Ltd, a diversified company with interest in agriculture and renewable energy.
First Ladies from across Africa are expected to be part of the event which will be held under the theme: ‘Increasing Access to Healthy Diets in the AU Year of Nutrition’.
Pan-African organisation, AGRA, has been giving the award since last year with the aim of promoting agricultural 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.
“Agriculture employs the majority of Africa’s people, nearly all of them small-scale farmers. AGRA recognises 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,” said AGRA on its website.
This year’s outstanding women agripreneurs were selected by a panel of independent judges under three categories; Outstanding Value-adding Enterprise; Female Agric Tech Innovator, and Young Female Agripreneur (Rising Star).
The nominees are from nine African countries: Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
They were selected from a total of 1 478 applicants from 38 African countries.
“WAYA is an AGRA-led recognition scheme that was launched and implemented in 2021, with very promising prospects for reaching and recognising more women agribusiness leaders in subsequent years,” said AGRA’s Vanessa Adams.
“The awards seek to spotlight excelling female agribusiness leaders and promote them as positive role models.
“Given the undeniable contribution of women to African agriculture and rural economies, a female-focused award scheme is an important way to showcase success — AGRA remains steadfast in its efforts to promote and support women’s agripreneurship in Africa.”
The WAYA nominees (Rising Star) are Line Gaju (Rwanda), Edith Mpoto (Malawi), Fatou Manneha (The Gambia), Janefrances Nkiruka Ighosewe, (Nigeria) and Vanessa Aisha Limann (Ghana).
For the outstanding value-adding enterprise category there are C élia Chabi (Benin), Dorah Kwamboka Momanyi (Kenya), Judith Marera (Zimbabwe), Oluwaseun Sangoleye (Nigeria) and Precious Awesome (Nigeria).
In the running for the Female Agric Tech Innovator of the year award are Esther Irine Nell (South Africa)
Ogola Lois Kange (Nigeria) Oluyemisi Iranloyel (Nigeria) Susan Kahumbu (Kenya) and Uwintwari Liliane (Rwanda).
The winner in each category will pocket US$20 000.
