Nigerian Government, IFAD to Scale Up ICT For Smallholder Farmers

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Federal Government of Nigeria, reiterated its commitment to scaling up Information Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D), to empower smallholder farmers.

IFAD is currently engaged in supporting the ongoing projects in Nigeria, namely the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP) covering the middle-belt region in the main and the Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises Project in the Niger Delta Region (LIFE-ND).

In line with the National Agriculture Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP), which was adopted by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 2022, IFAD’s Strategic Framework 2016 – 2025 and ICT4D Strategy, both underscore the importance of ICT4D specifically and digitalization in general, in enabling agricultural transformation.

Speaking at the FGN/IFAD multi-stakeholder Strategic Dialogue on Scaling-up ICT4D, for smallholder farmers in Nigeria, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development FMARD, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, said there was a need for massive investments in ICT4D to fight against hunger, as well as the inherent food wastage in the value chains.

Represented by Tanimu Ibrahim, Director of Planning in the ministry, noted that this will also widen the gap in the adoption of new technologies.

He said mainstreaming ICT4D services in agriculture would also address the significant number of investment gaps, and create farm management solutions in rural areas of low and middle-income earners.

The permanent secretary also said it would find solutions to post-harvest losses and other emerging challenges militating against agriculture development in the country.

According to him, “The Nigerian government at all times welcomes technologies and innovations that will aggressively drive the economic diversification of food systems transformation, as well as attainment of export food safety requirements for foreign exchange earnings.

“It is pertinent to know that the widespread use of ICT4D and its importance for innovation and economic growth has been recognised prominently as an easy and convenient fast mode to reach urban and rural farmers.

“It is aimed at having efficient information on agriculture as a paradigm shift from the traditional method of farming to the digital economy,” he said.

In her remarks, the Country Director, IFAD, Dede Ekoue, noted that the objective of the ICT4D strategy is to provide IFAD with a framework for leveraging digital technologies to facilitate access to market information and financial products and services, in addition to weather information to raise capacity for predicting and adapting to climate change for the rural dwellers.

Her words: “As we march along the ICT4D route, IFAD continues to provide strategic guidance, in order to maximize our chances of succeeding together. Relatedly, the vigour and enthusiasm demonstrated by the youths during the recent Youth Forum organized by VCDP have clearly positioned them to be leaders in the digital drive for the benefit of smallholder farmers, irrespective of the poor network connectivity that is prevalent in many locations across the country.

“Building on the efforts already made by the FGN/IFAD jointly funded projects in extending digital solutions to farmers, and taking due cognizance of the feedbacks from national and regional consultations recently held as part of formulation of the next Nigeria-IFAD Country Strategic Opportunities Programme (COSOP 2024 – 2029), the IFAD Country Office has thought it necessary to organize this multi-stakeholder strategic dialogue on up-scaling ICT4D for smallholder farmers.”

Agro Nigeria / Foluke Ibitomi