KIC fellow wins 2024 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize competition

 DR Mohammed Faried, a fellow of the Kosmos Innovation Centre and the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of Kodu Technol­ogy, has emerged as one of the grand prize winners for the 2024 GoGettaz Agripreneurs Prize Competition at the Africa Food Systems forum.

Kodu Pad, a groundbreak­ing invention put together by himself and team, captured the attention of judges and audi­ences at the event held in Kigali, Rwanda.

The product is an ecofriendly sanitary pad manufactured from agricultural waste such as the fibers of bananas and plantains.

Kodu Pad is not only sus­tainable but has proven to be a healthier option as opposed to other products.

Dr Faried’s pitch, which stood out for its ingenuity, landed him a prize of USD$50,000 for the scaling of his business.

The 2024 edition of the Go­Gettaz Agripreneurs Prize which received about 2,000 applications, selected its winners from among 12 finalists hailing from 11 differ­ent African countries through a rigorous process.

A statement issued in Accra on Friday by the organisers said, “This journey to victory for Kodu Technology, producers of the Kodu Pad, began some years ago when Dr Faried and team par­ticipated in the AgriTech Classic Challenge of the Kosmos Innova­tion Centre. Through tailor-made capacity building sessions and mentorship programmes, they honed their skills and refined their innovation.”

Looking ahead, Dr Faried on behalf of his team, expressed enthusiasm and optimism about the future of Kodu Pad.

He and his team are now focused on improving the banana fiber extraction procedure, one of the biggest challenges of the project.

“To players in the nation’s agricultural ecosystem, the success of Kodu Technology is a testa­ment to the transformative impact of the Kosmos Innovation Cen­tre, which continues to nurture

 young innovators and equip them with the tools and knowledge needed to excel,” the statement disclosed.

GoGettaz Africa is a part­nership initiative co-founded by Yara International and the Econet Group.

The competition identifies young African founders of high-potential agrifood business­es between the ages of 18 to 35, and supports them with invest­ment, leadership development, mentorship, visibility and part­nerships to scale their ventures.

 BY KINGSLEY ASARE

The post KIC fellow wins 2024 GoGettaz Agripreneur Prize competition appeared first on Ghanaian Times.

Read Full Story