Investors, manufacturers, others assess digital agricultural extension tools

SASAKAWA Africa Association (SAA) Nigeria recently organised a demonstration workshop for digital platforms capable of transforming Nigeria’s agricultural extension system and engendering agricultural development in the country.

Following the demonstrations at the workshop, the stakeholders in attendance offered perspectives and insights into the character of potential digital platforms that could be considered or adapted for further investment and scale- up.

The workshop, themed: “Showcasing digital agricultural extension service platforms in Nigeria” held at Bon Hotel Octagon, Abuja, was organised within the framework of a project led by the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services (AFAAS).

The project, “A Consultative Engagement Exercise for a Product Profile Design for Nigeria’s Public-Private Partnership Digital Extension Delivery System” is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The project is an engagement exercise and scoping study being conducted in Oyo, Gombe and Kaduna States to identify and profile a digital extension delivery solution that addresses the specific needs of small-scale farmers, promotes gender equality, and enhances climate resilience in Nigeria’s agriculture sector, especially in the value chains of Maize, Cowpea, Cassava, Soya bean and livestock. The project is being implemented by AFAAs in collaboration with SAA, Sahel Consulting and Africa Practice.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Country Director of SAA Nigeria, Dr Godwin Atser, explained that the demonstration workshop, was aimed at showcasing and assessing digital platforms that are currently being used by small-scale agricultural producers.

His words: “This event is not standing on its own. It is part of the study being implemented by AFAAS and partners, of which Sasakawa is one, together with Sahel Consulting and Africa Practice.

“Overall, we’re studying the digital agricultural landscape in the country to see how these digital platforms could be scaled up with public-private partnerships with the backing of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“Today, we have the makers, developers and promoters of some of these platforms. They will be demonstrating how their tools have been helping farmers in this digital era and opening opportunities for further investments”.

In his remarks, the Director of Agricultural Extension Service at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Deola Lordbanjou, stressed that the current situation of agricultural extension in Nigeria called for more innovative approaches which digitization offers.

“The low number of extension agents available to reach farmers in Nigeria is greatly hindering the dissemination of new technologies and contributing to low yields, reduced productivity and poor incomes. So we need to think outside the box and adopt modern and innovative approaches.

“That is why this workshop is important. And that is also why the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is prioritizing digital extension services.

Digital platforms showcased at the workshop include Akilimo, Agroinfotech, Farmer.chat, RiceAdvice, Crop2Cash, Extension Africa and the International Finance Infrastructure (IFI).

Agroponto, a digital platform developed under the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs-funded Revitalization of Rice Cooperatives and Decarbonization of Rice Production and Processing Project implemented by SAA Nasarawa State, was also showcased.

Agroponto, originally designed to strengthen rice production and processing cooperatives, is ensuring the availability and affordability of the rice produced by the beneficiary cooperatives, and eliminating the activities of Middlemen.

A representative of the Japanese Embassy in Nigeria, Ms Yuka Fukutani, who was also in attendance, praised SAA for promoting the digitization of the agricultural extension space. She described Agroponto as a game changer for smallholder farmers.

She said: “The success of Agroponto is a testament to the power of digital tools in transforming agricultural practices and making market available for smallholder farmers. We are grateful to Sasakawa Africa Association for promoting this tool and we hope to see it in use across the country to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers”

Ms Akiko Aikawa, a representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in Nigeria, hailed the organisers of the workshop saying that it was in alignment with the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach, which the organisation was leading in Nigeria.

According to her, “a key component of the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach is to integrate digital solutions into agricultural practices to enhance market access, improve efficiency, and increase income for small-scale farmers”

In attendance were private and public sector industries that rely on farmers for raw materials as well as manufacturers and investors in digital products.

They include Olam Agri, Nasarawa Sugar Company, Dangote Industries, the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), commercial farms, among others.

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