2024 KIC AgriTech Challenge Classic zonal pitches held
Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) and the Mastercard Foundation have organised a series of zonal pitches across the Northern, Middle and Southern belts of Ghana in a lead up to the final competition for the 2024 AgriTech Challenge Classic.
The AgriTech Challenge Classic is a seven-month training programme aimed at developing the interest and building the mindset of students and young graduates in order to ultimately drive systemic change in Ghana’s agriculture sector.
Attracting students or graduates from 16 regions nationwide,
working in teams, these young people pitch groundbreaking agribusiness and agritech ideas to a panel of ideation team members. Prior to the Zonal Pitches, first pitches, were organised at the campus level.
The pitch competition for the Northern Zone featured participants from the University of Development Studies; Bolgatanga Technical University; SD Dombo University for Business and Integrated Development Studies; C.K. Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences and Damango Agricultural College.
The Middle Zonal Pitch had participants from the Kwame Nkrumah Science and Technology serving as host, University of Energy and Natural Resources, Kwadaso Agricultural College, Akenten Appiah-Menka University for Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (AAMUSTED), and Ejura Agricultural College and Mechanisation Centre.
The Southern Zonal Pitch was made up of the University of Ghana, Takoradi Technical University, Ho Technical University, Koforidua Technical University, OHAWU Agricultural College and the University of Cape Coast.
Speaking at this year’s programme, Benjamin Gyan-Kesse,
Executive Director, KIC said: “KIC’s commitment to supporting young people with capacity building in entrepreneurship within the agricultural sector is in line with our organisation’s mission to provide employment and economic empowerment for young people.”
“At KIC, we remain dedicated to fostering an environment where the ideas of young agri innovators can thrive, providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship, and opportunities to scale their solutions,” he added.
As a build- up to the pitches, participants were trained in core areas, including business strategy,
product development, marketing, personal discovery and team effectiveness, market research tours, among others.
At the end of the Zonal Pitches, 64 teams from across the country will progress unto the final pitch competition to take place from the November 27 to the 29, 2024 at KNUST.
Through the AgriTech Challenge, KIC and its partners provide the youth with the right exposure to the agriculture value chain, and networking opportunity to build and grow viable solutions to Ghana’s key agricultural challenges.
