The Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have initiated training for officials on using ICT for Development (ICT4D) in the monitoring and evaluation of IFAD projects across the country.
The Country Director of IFAD, Mrs. Dede Ekoue, while speaking with journalists about the significance of the training, explained that the training aims to harness the power of digital solutions to enhance the monitoring and evaluation of IFAD’s projects.
Mrs. Ekoue further stated that the essence of this digital training in monitoring and evaluation is to use ICT4D to scale up the results for farmers.
She said that when ICT4D is used as a solution, IFAD will not only ensure that staff uses these solutions to work on the projects, but also that farmers use these solutions to provide feedback on the project and suggestions on how IFAD can improve.
“The essence of this training is to use the power of digital solutions to enhance the monitoring and evaluation of our projects.
“It is important because the federal government of Nigeria and IFAD are investing heavily in projects, and these projects must yield the best results. To ensure that they yield the best results, we need to use digital tools to track the results, to see if these results align with the objectives, and to ensure that they are efficient. We also want to learn from these results and continue improving the projects.
“So, the essence of this digital training in monitoring and evaluation is to use ICT4D to scale up the results for farmers. When we use ICT4D solutions, we will not only ensure that staff uses these solutions to work on the project, but also that farmers use these solutions to provide feedback on the project and suggestions on how we can improve.
“It is making the monitoring and evaluation more participatory and efficient, enabling us to understand the results we are achieving in each state and local government and how we can improve on those results,” she added.
An ICT4D Consultant, Dana Sprole, said that through this training, they hope to impart and share more knowledge about ICT and emphasize the collaboration that is necessary to involve farmers for the program’s success.
“Through the different sessions we are covering, our hope is that they will be able to apply the knowledge they acquire here and incorporate the perspectives of farmers into the work they are doing,” she noted.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, who was represented by the Director of Planning and Policy Coordination in the Ministry, Mr. Ibrahim Tanimu, stated that the ICT4D training is an integral part of President Bola Tinubu’s agenda for transforming the agricultural sector.
He emphasized that agriculture has to be diversified through the use of technology, as without technology, much cannot be achieved. He noted, “So, what IFAD is doing here is in complete alignment with the direction of the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
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