The Federal Government has endorsed the activation of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Digital Village Initiative (DVI) to boost sustainable agro-food productivity in Nigeria.
The endorsement was given by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, in a keynote speech at the DVI inception workshop held on Thursday in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Digital Village Initiative (DVI) is an integrated development vision that places digitalization at the heart of rural transformation and prosperity, addressing both on-farm and off-farm socio-economic factors.
To tackle the key challenges hindering inclusive and sustainable agrifood system transformation in sub-Saharan Africa, the FAO Regional Office for Africa (RAF) has developed the Digital Innovation Strategy (DIS).
Nigeria’s agro-productivity enhancement
The minister emphasized that Nigeria would enhance its agro-productivity through the adoption of the DVI across all agricultural value chains.
“It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this important inception workshop on the FAO Digital Village Initiative, an effort that is both timely and transformative for the agricultural landscape of our great nation,” he said.
He highlighted that the global digital agriculture sector is experiencing significant growth, fueled by the integration of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and mobile platforms.
“These innovations aim to improve productivity, sustainability, and resilience in farming practices. Digital agriculture involves the use of advanced technologies to optimize farming operations.
“Nigeria, like many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, stands at a critical juncture in the transformation of food and nutrition systems, which requires sustainable and adaptive innovative practices,” Kyari added.
AI’s role in precision farming
He reiterated that globally, AI plays a pivotal role in precision farming, resource management, and yield improvement.
“Globally, this sector is expanding rapidly, with AI playing a pivotal role in precision farming, resource management, and yield improvement.
“Today marks the beginning of a bold step in our new journey of mainstreaming innovation, data, and adaptive technologies into our national agricultural sector development agenda through the establishment of a National Integrated Digital Agriculture Platform.
“This platform will serve as the digital nervous system that links all actors and activities across the agricultural value chains, including farmers, farms, inputs, climate, funding, commodities, research, processors, aggregators, transporters, retailers, and consumers.
“Our vision is clear: a digitally enabled, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural system that delivers food and nutrition security, drives national prosperity, empowers youth and women, and builds resilience in our farming communities and their livelihoods.
“In partnership with the FAO, the DVI will provide a scalable and adaptable framework to support the planned digitization of the farmers’ register and farmland data most appropriate geo spatial technological solutions,” he said.
He added that the DVI would digitize agricultural production value chains, research and innovation systems, enhance farmers’ extension services, and develop real-time agricultural data management systems for improved planning and decision-making.
FAO’s commitment to agricultural transformation
On his part, the FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Koffy Kouacou, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to revolutionizing agriculture and food systems in Nigeria.
“This transformative initiative of the FAO of the United Nations is set to revolutionize agriculture by enhancing knowledge exchange, technology adoption, and farmer empowerment.
“With the right digital tools, we can drive sustainable agrifood transformation and improve livelihoods across Nigeria,” Kouacou said.
He expressed his pleasure in having the Honourable Minister present, saying, “This is an affirmation of Nigeria’s strong commitment to leveraging digital transformation for food security, improved nutrition, and resilient agrifood systems.”
Solid foundation for digital agriculture
Kouacou also pointed out that Nigeria’s 10-year Digital Agriculture Strategy 2020–2030 and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020–2030 lay a solid foundation for this initiative.
“These strategies aim to harness digital technologies for increased agricultural productivity, food security, and positioning Nigeria’s agrifood sector competitively on the global stage,” he added.
He emphasized that by reiterating the organization’s shared vision to optimize resources, improve market access, strengthen supply chains, and equip farmers with essential digital skills.
