WFP marks milestone in impactful innovation with Pan-African venture convening for the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa
The World Food Programme convened a milestone event for the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa, celebrating the achievements of the supported pan-African ventures and programme in addressing health and food insecurity topics in Africa via innovative digital solutions.
The 18 ventures selected as finalists and awardees across the Kofi Annan Award’s two editions reached more than 1 million individuals throughout their sprint periods. This resulted in more people receiving quicker emergency services, better tracking of vaccination records, improved sustainable agriculture practices for farmers and reduced food waste, among other results.
Africa is in a critical moment of digitalization, where local innovators have the opportunity to transform the future of African livelihoods and economies. WFP is supporting these innovations and integrating innovative initiatives throughout its operations, implementing emerging technologies. As a leader in this context, WFP plays a key connective role for entrepreneurs, governments, UN agencies, public- and private-sector partners and beyond to engage in innovation for humanitarian and development actors.
“At the World Food Programme, we know innovative problem solving is needed now more than ever. After a challenging year of shifts in the humanitarian environment and an uncertain future ahead of us, we are investing in locally-led, context-specific innovations to maximize resources and generate a greater impact for those in need,” said WFP Ghana Country Director Aurore Rusiga.
The convening brought together nearly 100 local and pan-African entrepreneurs and leaders focused on impact innovation to exchange ideas and strengthen the Ghanaian innovation ecosystem. First, ventures shared common challenges and work toward solutions in AI applications, entrepreneurial resilience and funding and partnerships. Then, venture panelists, programme partners from the Austrian Government and the Kofi Annan Foundation and WFP representatives shared their learnings and experiences with the broader ecosystem in Ghana.
“We are proud of what the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa has accomplished over the last years,” said Jose Alcocer, Head of SDGx at the WFP Innovation Accelerator, which runs the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa. “Seeing the integrity and dedication of the ventures combined with their expertise in action gives me great hope for the future. At the WFP Innovation Accelerator, every step we can take to support them and ventures like them on their path to scale are steps worth taking, because it means one step toward food security and improved livelihoods for all.”
The Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa is powered by the Austrian Federal Chancellery and Kofi Annan Foundation and operationally supported by the WFP Innovation Accelerator and Austrian Development Agency.
After two successful iterations, the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa is seeking additional partners to continue the impactful programme, empower more African innovators and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
