By Chinyere Anyanwu
The Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan, Prof. Stella Olabode, has enjoined the Federal and State governments to equip and expose farmers, students and youths who are interested in agriculture to modern technology.
Olabode, who spoke at the weekend, during the closing ceremony of the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) project implemented by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), held at the University of Ibadan, maintained that this is necessary to solve the problem of food insecurity in the country.
At the event attended by 75 adopted farmers, Olabode said the only way to ensure food sufficiency in the country is for the governments to equip and expose farmers, students and youths who are interested in agriculture to smart agriculture and modern technology.
She said the use of modern technology would help to ensure multiple planting, cropping and harvesting all year round, adding that this would also go a long way to reducing the rate of unemployment in the country and boost the production of food items and materials in large quantities thereby putting an end to food insecurity in the country.
Olabode further said, “what can be done is what we are talking about. We are talking about smart agriculture and modern technology to make crops available all year round. With smart agriculture, we have a borehole that is sunk to provide water for irrigation during the dry season.
“This will ensure that we have the crops all year round and it is a very good advantage to farmers and students because they will not be looking for water during the dry season again.
“Allow farmers and students access to modern technology that can work. This is why smart agriculture is going to work. They will be able to produce during the dry and wet seasons.
“There will be multiple planting, there will be multiple cropping and there will be multiple harvesting all the year round. And people can get food all the time. Then the problem of food insecurity will be solved.”
Speaking at the ceremony, the NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, who was represented by the team lead and Assistant Director, Digital Economy Development Department, Dr. Ayodele Bakare, reiterated that the programme is designed to help the farmers raise their efficiency, effectiveness and profitability of their farm businesses through the adoption of digital technologies.
Bakare, in his address, explained that the programme is an initiative of NITDA under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy. He enjoined the university management to take the programme beyond the scope NITDA designed for it by integrating and owning it.
He said that the programme was initiated by NITDA to demonstrate that IT is an enabler of all other sectors of the economy, and if properly deployed and adopted by farmers, it would aid food production and security in the country, adding that the essence of the training is for the beneficiaries to be able to manage their smart farms and become self-reliant and self-employed.
While advising the beneficiaries to practice what they have learnt throughout the period of the training and build on it, he assured them that NITDA would continue to provide the necessary support should the need arises.