Recognizing the agricultural potential in Nigeria, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has decided to join forces with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to combat food insecurity in the country through digital technologies.
Nigeria boasts over 70 million hectares of arable land, potentially feeding not just the nation but the entire continent.
Speaking at a meeting between NITDA and USAID representatives led by Josh Woodard, Senior Digital Advisor for the Bureau of Resilience, Environment, and Food Security, NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa noted that Nigeria prioritizes boosting agriculture to achieve food security.
“At NITDA, our core function is to develop the National IT Policy, and this policy goes beyond simply developing IT. Our goal is to leverage IT to enhance productivity across all crucial sectors, including agriculture,” he said.
The USAID delegation’s visit is aimed at assessing the digital agriculture landscape in Nigeria and exploring potential partnerships with NITDA.
He explained that there is a commitment to making agriculture a more appealing profession for younger generations by incorporating IT into agricultural strategies.
He outlined six promising technologies that NITDA believes will be instrumental in achieving food security in Nigeria.
They are: Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Blockchain technology, robotics and Additive manufacturing.
Meanwhile, USAID’s Josh Woodard in his earlier remark expressed the agency’s desire to gain firsthand knowledge of Nigeria’s digital agriculture initiatives. This information, he believes will be used to identify ways to strengthen the integration of digital technologies in Nigerian agriculture.
Woodard revealed the recent launch of the Global Food Security Strategy for Nigeria (2024-2029), a collaborative effort between USAID and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Our goal is to work with all stakeholders to ensure food security in Nigeria,” he emphasized.