Problem: Inefficient agricultural practices and weak value chains in Nigeria results in agricultural yields that are a third of global yield averages and post-harvest losses ranging between 40-60% annually, compounding an already high poverty rate.

Solution: Kitovu is a digital platform that collects, analyzes, and aggregates soil, field and market demand data. These data enables the right soils to be matched to the right soil and crop specific fertilizers, improved seedlings, and agrochemicals, while connecting farm produce to markets; resulting in increased crop yields and reduced post-harvest losses.

Goals and objectives: To assist farmers in Nigeria and across Africa enhance the yield of their farm products, reduce post-harvest losses, minimize economic losses, and improve the efficiency of grain value chain.

Implementation: The solution was developed by Kitovu Technology company, founded in 2016. Kitovu uses data to eliminate guesswork and supply chain inefficiencies in African agriculture, leveraging emerging technology. Its technology provides farmers with soil and crop specific fertilizers which guarantees increased yields since the fertilizers take into account the soils nutrient levels, and the crops nutrient requirements; as well as improved seedlings for optimal yields.  Its robust plant health analytics technology enables Kitovu provide farmers with ongoing decision support. The Kitovu platform also provides via its offtake network, a guaranteed markets for farmers, at all times; while also leveraging on farmer data to provide input financing to smallholder farmers.

The mobile app is free for Kitovu’s channel partners who onboard farmers. Suppliers and Produce buyers pay a fee to use the platform. Kitovu takes a 5% commission on the sales.

Achievements: Kitovu has increased farmer’s yield by over 300%. To date, they have worked with over 10,000 farmers across 6 states of Nigeria, working with 157 trained youths as channel partners.  Kitovu is a recipient of several national and International Awards; Nigerian Innovation Awards 2016, Total Startupper Awards for Innovation, 2016, Nigerian Agricultural Awards, 2017 (Nominee), The World Bank/ Zicklin Center for Business Ethics Research Ideas for Action 2017 competition where they placed first out of 943 teams from 118 countries, as well as the Africa Prize for Innovation 2018 Shortlist. The Kitovu solution was also included in the top 50 global solutions in the 2018 Youth Solutions Report of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Youth.

Contact details:

Kitovu

Emeka Nwachinemere, CEO and Founder

4B Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority,

Oyo road, Niko, Iseyin, Oyo State

Phone: +2348062148183, +2348182291334, +2347087646430

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: http://kitovu.com.ng/