Bayero University Kano Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) in a remarkable event, generously granted a total of seven and a half million Naira to the victors of its first-ever AgriHacking competition.
The competition, organized by the center, aimed to engage participants and fulfill its primary objective of advancing agriculture in Africa’s drylands.
The winners were honored during the second open day, where an exhibition and awards ceremony took place at the center’s premises in BUK on Tuesday.
Each of the five winners, who emerged from the competition, received prizes ranging from N1 million to N2 million. Furthermore, they will benefit from mentorship and training to foster the realization of their innovative ideas.
Remarkably, the first and second place winners of the competition were both female, a testament to the empowerment of women in the agricultural sector.
Professor Jibrin Muhammad Jibrin, the Director of the CDA, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the competition. He stated, “CDA was established to address the challenges faced by Africa’s drylands, enabling the people of these regions to prosper by leveraging their knowledge to solve problems and create wealth.”
He further mentioned that apart from the competition, the center also recognized and rewarded its exceptional staff members for their outstanding contributions to the center’s operations.
The second annual open day served as an opportunity for the center to engage with stakeholders, establish networks, and showcase its noteworthy achievements while garnering valuable feedback.
Professor Sagir Adamu Abbas, the Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University Kano, commended the CDA for its groundbreaking accomplishments. He emphasized the center’s substantial progress in the realms of training and research.
Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mahmud Umar Sani, the Deputy for Management Services, acknowledged the CDA’s status as the Africa Center of Excellence in Agriculture. He highlighted that the center had successfully justified the World Bank grant it had received.
Established in 2012 by the university and funded by the World Bank and the French Agency for Development (AFD), the center focuses on promoting academic excellence and regional integration in Africa. Its primary aim is to address the specific training, research, and development requirements of the dryland areas in West and Central Africa.
