The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has expressed the agency’s readiness to collaborate with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other stakeholders to address food insecurity in Nigeria. He highlighted that with over 70 million hectares of arable land, Nigeria has the potential to feed not just itself but the entire African continent.
This statement was made during a visit by USAID representatives, led by Josh Woodard, Senior Digital Advisor for the Bureau for Resilience, Environment, and Food Security, to NITDA’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja. The purpose of the visit was to conduct a rapid landscape assessment of digital agriculture in Nigeria and explore potential partnerships with NITDA.
In his remarks, the Director General emphasized that one of President Tinubu’s key priorities is enhancing agriculture to achieve food security. He noted that NITDA was established to develop the National IT Policy, which aims to boost productivity across critical sectors, including agriculture, through the use of technology.
To make agriculture more appealing to younger generations, NITDA has been working on several initiatives that integrate technology into the sector. The Director General mentioned that NITDA has identified six emerging technologies that can contribute to achieving food security in Nigeria. These include:
– Artificial Intelligence (AI): NITDA is currently conducting a co-creation workshop to develop an AI strategy for use in agriculture, health, education, and other sectors.
– Internet of Things (IoT): The agency is exploring IoT applications in agriculture for crop monitoring, soil monitoring, precision irrigation, climate monitoring, and livestock monitoring.
– Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): NITDA is working on using UAVs for pest detection, water control, yield assessment, and other agricultural applications.
– Blockchain: The agency is investigating blockchain technology for traceability of farm produce, record-keeping, and quality assurance.
– Robotics: NITDA is exploring the use of robotics to enhance agricultural productivity through automation of processes like weeding, harvesting, and tractor operations.
– Additive Manufacturing: The agency is looking into additive manufacturing to upscale the production of agricultural equipment and devices, such as crop and soil monitoring tools.
In addition, the Director General highlighted NITDA’s commitment to fostering Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, noting the recent launch of the Nigeria Startup Portal, which has already registered over 12,000 startups. These startups will be labeled and given access to various incentives.
Josh Woodard of USAID explained that the meeting aimed to gain a deeper understanding of Nigeria’s digital farming initiatives and to explore ways to enhance the integration of digital technology in agriculture. He mentioned that USAID recently launched the Global Food Security Strategy for Nigeria (2024-2029) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The discussion also covered the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) initiative, including its success stories, expansion strategies, and the potential involvement of USAID in these initiatives.
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