Climate Smart Poultry Technology Wins Big: The Key Facts
Adaeze Ruth Akpagbula from Abia State took the top prize at the 2026 InnovateNaija final in Abuja. She co-founded Farm Speak and built the PenKeep Smart Poultry Climate Control System. NASENI and AfriLabs ran the programme. The tool helps farmers manage climate challenges in poultry, aquaculture, greenhouses and smart irrigation.
The numbers show how tough the race was. More than 1,000 people applied. Public voting then picked 36 state winners and 15 national finalists. By my calculation, fewer than two in every 100 applicants reached the final. Each state champion first got ₦2.5 million, and the top three prizes were ₦100 million, ₦30 million and ₦20 million. Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Plateau and Kaduna then matched their champions’ grants, which raised them to ₦5 million each.
Why Climate Smart Poultry Technology Needs Local Design
AfriLabs Director of Programmes Nanko Madu made a sharp point. Nigeria still relies heavily on imported technology, and much of it may not fit local infrastructure, electricity supply, climate, culture or purchasing power. So homegrown tools have a real advantage.
Akpagbula agrees. She says climate-related problems can cost farmers a large share of their produce. In her view, tools like PenKeep can give them more control over their production environment.
The programmes also run wide. Madu said they have reached more than 3,500 young Nigerians across all 36 states and the FCT. Their work spans agriculture, manufacturing, renewable energy, healthcare, education and climate technology.
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What Climate Smart Poultry Technology Needs to Scale
A prize does not build a factory, and Akpagbula knows it. She named funding, infrastructure and electricity as major hurdles for hardware innovators. Still, she says the ₦100 million will help her company expand production and reach more farmers.
Government is also moving. Minister Kingsley Udeh said the goal is to take ideas past the prototype stage by linking innovators with investors. In addition, President Tinubu has sent a bill to the National Assembly for a National Research and Innovation Development Fund. NASENI promises incubation, technical help and investor matching.
States are acting too. Anambra says 111 startups have received about ₦364 million, which is roughly ₦3.3 million each by my maths. The state is also developing a 13.7-hectare innovation district. In my opinion, that matters to property people, because innovation needs land, power and workspace to grow.
Conclusion
Climate smart poultry technology shows that Nigerian problems can get Nigerian answers. Yet money alone will not carry it. Power, space and investors must follow. At Green Realty Africa, we will keep watching where these ideas land, because they will shape how we build and use land.