By EMMANUEL ANTSWEN

A Benue veterinary doctor, Shadrach Akpem, has won a $10,000 (N15 million) award at the Global Innovate for Impact Challenge Finals in the United States of America (USA).

Dr Aondoakaa Asambe, Director-General (D-G), Bureau of Livestock Development and Transboundary Animal Diseases Control in Benue, made the disclosure in a congratulatory message on Thursday made available to newsmen in Makurdi.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Dr Akpem is a technical assistant to the D-G.

Asambe said that the competition took place in Des Moines, Iowa, USA, on October 22.

The D-G said that Akpem, founder of Vet Konect, emerged as the second-place winner at the World Food Prize Foundation’s Innovate for Impact Challenge Finals.

He explained that the competition, organised by the World Food Prize Foundation, was designed to identify and support young innovators whose transformative solutions were reshaping the future of global food and agricultural systems.

“This year’s event attracted over 400 applications from 65 countries, with three exceptional finalists selected to compete at the prestigious Borlaug Dialogue in Iowa.

“The gathering is often described as the ‘Davos of global agriculture.

“Dr Akpem’s innovation, Vet Konect, is a digital platform that connects livestock farmers and pet owners to verified veterinary professionals, ensuring timely access to animal healthcare, improving productivity, and strengthening food security across Africa.

“The platform’s impact-driven model has already reached thousands of farmers and veterinarians across Nigeria, bridging the gap between rural communities and essential animal health services.

“For his outstanding innovation and social impact, Akpem was awarded a $10,000 prize to scale his work and expand Vet Konect’s reach to underserved farming communities across Africa,” he said.

Asambe added that Akpem, who is a Mandela Washington Fellow and multi-award-winning veterinarian, is the first Nigerian and African finalist to reach the top three in the history of the Innovate for Impact Challenge.

He pointed out that the feat marks a defining moment for African innovation and youth-led agricultural transformation.

“This victory is not about me alone – it’s about Africa’s resilient innovators who believe that sustainable solutions can come from within.

“Vet Konect is proof that technology, when driven by purpose, can change the face of animal health, food security, and livelihoods across our continent.

“With Vet Konect and his social enterprise Mobovet Nigeria Ltd, he has empowered over 40,000 Nigerian youths through training in digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and employability, while driving inclusive livestock development and poverty reduction,” he added. (NAN)