Nigeria’s Kitovu has emerged as one of 10 pioneering startups showcased at the 2024 Make in Africa Finale, an annual platform by Qualcomm Incorporated celebrating innovation across the African continent.
Kitovu’s inclusion highlights Nigeria’s growing influence in the global agritech space. Founded by Nwachinemera Emeka, Kitovu is revolutionising agriculture with its WareGuard smart warehouse management solution. Designed to tackle post-harvest losses—one of Africa’s most pressing agricultural challenges—WareGuard ensures millions of farmers can enhance food security and maximise their yield value.
The 2024 Make in Africa program brought together startups from six African nations, addressing key sectors such as healthcare, artificial intelligence, and industrial technology. Alongside Kitovu, participants included Aurora Health Systems (Kenya): AI-driven cardiovascular healthcare tools; CropScan (Kenya): Solar-powered IoT devices for smart farming; Cure Bionics (Tunisia): 3D-printed prosthetic devices and DevisionX (Egypt): AI-based low-code computer vision tools.
Others are Kalio (Cameroon): AI solutions for agricultural IoT; NextAI Studios (Kenya): AI-powered mental healthcare toys; RIM Nextgen (Kenya): Smart propane monitoring tools; Sparcx (South Africa): AI for radar signal processing and ViZmerald (Tunisia): AI-driven textile industry inspection tools
Kenya’s Aurora Health Systems was awarded the 2024 Wireless Reach Social Impact Fund for its LTE-enabled portable ECG device, a groundbreaking innovation improving rural access to cardiovascular care.
Speaking on the program’s impact, Qualcomm’s senior vice president, Wassim Chourbaji, in a press statement, made available to LEADERSHIP, said, “The Make in Africa startups are redefining industries with innovative solutions that address local challenges and hold global market potential. Qualcomm remains committed to empowering early-stage African tech companies, creating jobs, and fostering economic growth.”
Applications are now open for the 2025 Make in Africa program, as Qualcomm looks to identify and nurture the next wave of transformative African startups. With programs like L2Pro Africa providing intellectual property training, the future of African innovation appears brighter than ever.
Kitovu’s selection not only underscores its groundbreaking contributions to agriculture but also serves as a beacon of Nigeria’s potential to lead in technology-driven solutions for global challenges.
