NaFarm Foods, an agricultural business in Kaduna, Nigeria, has won the prestigious 2025 Zayed Sustainability Prize in the Food category for its solar food dryer.
The award celebrates the company’s work to prevent food spoilage and promote sustainable farming practices across Nigeria.
In many regions, including Africa, food spoilage is a major problem after harvest. According to Nigeria’s Daily Trust, without proper preservation, produce like tomatoes can rot, wasting precious crops and forcing farmers to sell food at post-harvest “giveaway” prices due to a lack of storage facilities.
NaFarm Food’s founder, Kaduna native, AbdulLateef Olaosebikan, was looking for a way to address skyrocketing tomato prices during the Nigerian offseason and came up with the idea behind NaFarm Foods’ hybrid solar food dryers. The company’s technology makes it possible to dry food quickly, safely, and effectively, while reducing spoilage and keeping food more affordable year-round.
The Zayed Sustainability Prize is an international award honoring innovative solutions to global challenges in areas, such as health, food, energy, water, and climate action. The prize, named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) founding father, has impacted more than 407 million lives globally over the past 17 years, according to Business Wire.
NaFarm Foods’ award-winning technology uses solar energy and electricity from solar panels to dry food quickly and efficiently, even on rainy or cloudy days. The technology can handle up to 500kg (about 1,100 lbs) of food per unit and helps preserve the nutritional quality of food while minimizing energy costs.
The dryer has already helped over 80 communities in six Nigerian states, reducing food spoilage for more than 65,000 farmers. According to Business Wire, NaFarm Foods aims to empower 2 million farmers and reduce carbon emissions by 50,000 metric tons annually by 2030.
Empowering Communities
NaFarm Foods' technology goes beyond food preservation. Its work creates income-generating opportunities—especially for women and youth in rural communities—and helps farmers increase their profits. The dryer also helps the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by decomposing food and lowering dependence on fossil fuels, benefitting both farmers and the planet.
Fatima Jimoh, CEO of NaFarm Foods, told Business Wire that the award will allow them to “continue pushing boundaries” and “this is more than an achievement, it’s a call to action to drive greater impact.”
Business Wire reports that the $1 million Prize fund will enable NaFarm Foods to manufacture and distribute 100,000 dryers across Nigeria and West African nations. The company also plans to expand training programs to empower an additional 25,000 women and youth.
תגובות