Young innovators urged to leverage digital technologies to address food security, development, others

YOUNG innovators have been urged to leverage digital technologies to tackle food security challenges and drive sustainable development across Nigeria and Africa.

The call was made during the G-SPARK Summit 1.0 hosted by the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), which brought together innovators, researchers, policymakers and global technology stakeholders to explore the intersection of agriculture and emerging technologies.

In a statement issued by the Acting Head, Directorate of Public Relations, FUNAAB, Olasunkanmi Olajide, the summit underscored the growing role of young Africans in deploying digital tools such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) to address real-world agricultural and development challenges.

The summit, held at the university’s Ceremonial Building and themed “Showcasing Talents, Scaling Impact,” attracted over 1,000 participants from across the country.

According to the statement, the event, organised by Google Developer Groups (GDG) on the FUNAAB campus, highlighted how youth-led innovations are increasingly contributing to improved agricultural productivity and sustainable solutions.

It noted that participants engaged in technical workshops, innovation showcases, networking sessions and hackathon-style activities focused on practical challenges within the agriculture and technology sectors.

The statement added that the summit also strengthened collaboration between the university, the Ogun technology ecosystem and international technology companies, including Google and NVIDIA.

The initiative, it was gathered, was designed to equip young innovators with practical skills and global exposure, enabling them to compete effectively in the evolving digital economy.

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To encourage wider participation, the organisers provided transportation support for students from outside Ogun State, while the venue was equipped with high-speed internet and digital infrastructure to support technical sessions.

The statement, however, noted that plans were underway for G-SPARK Summit 2.0, with proposed partnerships to support device access and expand participation.

Also speaking, the Lead Organiser, Yusuff Ahmad, commended the university management for supporting the initiative, describing it as a platform to showcase the innovative capacity of African students on the global stage.