The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa has explained how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other transformative technologies can optimise the operations of small scale farmers in the country.

Delivering a keynote speech in Abuja at the launching of the Survey on the Digitisation of Supply-Chain in Small-Scale Nigerian Farms Project organised by AGROVESTO (an Agritech startup and a beneficiary of the iHatch Incubation Programme Cohort 2) in conjunction with NITDA, Office for Nigeria Digital Innovation (ONDI), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) as partner, Inuwa, who was represented by Engr. Salisu Kaka, Director of Digital Economy Department lamented that “small-scale farmers are the backbone of crop production in Nigeria.”

“Still, they face numerous challenges including limited access to technology, high production costs, limited financing, high post-harvest losses, poor market access, labour shortages, and high labour costs. These issues he noted hinder their productivity and economic potential.”

The event’s purpose was to launch a project that will enable smallholder farmers in Nigeria to thrive, increase their income, and expand their market opportunities thereby creating wealth and prosperity for the country through agriculture.

Inuwa stated that agriculture employs a significant number of Nigerians and accounts for 25.18 percent of Nigeria’s GDP in 2023 through crop production, livestock, forestry, and fishing, with crop production taking the largest share; maintaining that digitising the supply chain for small-scale farms offers a transformative solution to the challenges of food security in the country.

Inuwa affirmed that supply chain optimisation will ensure that small-scale farmers can meet the increasing consumer demands, enhance food quality and safety, and promote and utilise sustainable practices.

“This can be achieved through the adoption of technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), which can handle time-demanding tasks using machine learning and predictive modelling; the Internet of Things (IoT), which can monitor crops and generate real-time data to inform automation and best practices; and blockchain, which can provide end-to-end traceability in supply chains with shareable data, building consumer trust and even making it easier to isolate and manage disease outbreaks in crops,” Inuwa said.

He said, “NITDA has been actively supporting the growth of Nigeria’s agricultural sector. One key initiative is the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) which has engaged 965 farmers in integrating technology into agriculture.

“Our Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan, 2024 – 2027 (SRAP 2.0) also highlights our focus on promoting technology in agriculture to boost food security, increase the sector’s GDP contribution, drive economic diversification, and create jobs, aligning with the priorities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he added.

Citing a good use case of the digitised agricultural sector, Inuwa disclosed that according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), agriculture contributes 33 percent to Kenya’s GDP.

He divulged that JICA, through its Small Horticulture Empowerment & Promotion (SHEP) Approach, doubled the income of 2,500 small-scale farmers between 2007 and 2009 alone.

During his presentation, Co-founder/CEO AGROVESTO, Bayo Adewoye said that 63.5 percent of these farmers earn between N20,000 and N100,000 monthly during the sales season while 63 percent take their products to the open market to sell.

He added that the project has been designed to address these challenges, and the expected outcomes include; improved farmer income by connecting farmers to wider markets through digital tools and increasing their bargaining power and sales, boosting their incomes.

Furthermore, efficient Supply Chains by digitising agricultural value chains can reduce post-harvest losses and improve the flow of goods, benefiting farmers and markets.

He said the initiative enhances digital literacy, empowers farmers with digital skills to enable them to leverage technology to access information and expand their market reach.

He further explained that the next step is to rollout digitisation of access to the market which entails the design and integration of a tailored digital platform for market access. And the onboarding of cooperatives and SHEP graduates to the platform. Then monitoring and evaluation activities which includes review meetings with JICA and ONDI, webinar and knowledge sharing.

MTN Nigeria on Saturday announced the construction of its West African largest data centre, a facility with a 1,500-rack and Tier 4 data centre within the country.

Tier 4 data centre is built to be completely fault-tolerant, has redundancy for every component and an expected uptime of 99.995 per cent.

This means it can withstand a wide range of potential disruptions and offers the most reliable infrastructure. 

The Chief Technical Officer, MTN, Mr Mohammed Rufai, told newsmen in Lagos that construction of the data centre was a move to enhance Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.

Rufai said that the data centre was set to play a pivotal role in meeting the growing data demands and digital needs of businesses and consumers across the country.

He said that the new data centre would support MTN’s infrastructure and serve as a vital resource for businesses across Nigeria.

“Businesses that require data centre capacity can now forgo maintaining their server rooms.

‘’Our facility will provide the space and services needed, enabling companies to digitalise their operations and improve efficiency.

‘’The data centre will also enhance the delivery of content from major tech companies like Meta and Google, bringing content closer to Nigerian users and improving access speeds,’’ he said.

According to him, this local hosting of content will significantly boost user experience and network efficiency.

Rufai highlighted the critical need for expanded data processing capabilities, driven by significant growth in data usage and the emergence of new services.

“We see a high demand in the market, with data usage growing significantly.

“And in order to cater to demand and prepare for future growth, MTN is expanding and modernising its data centre capacity,” the MTN official said.

According to him, the project is not just a technological investment but also a catalyst for economic growth.

Rufai said by providing scalable and adaptable infrastructure, it would enable businesses, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), to leverage cloud services and other digital solutions.

He stressed that this would, in turn, drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness across various sectors of the economy.

He emphasised MTN’s readiness to partner with startups and MSMEs, offering numerous opportunities for collaboration, particularly in cloud services.

According to him, aligned with MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy, the data centre signals the company’s commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.

He said that the facility would eventually utilise efficient cooling systems and a combination of traditional energy sources, gas and renewable energy.

Rufai stressed the importance of these energy measures, saying it would significantly reduce its carbon footprint.

According to him, up to 60 per cent of the power consumption of a typical data centre in our clime is for cooling, MTN’s highly efficient systems will ensure it meets the sustainability targets.

The MTN official added that as Nigeria’s digital landscape advanced, the new data centre marked a significant milestone.

He said that it captured a continued drive for innovation, quality,  growth and fostered a connected, modern life aiming to provide improved services, economic benefits and a strong digital infrastructure for the future.

Nigeria’s leading digital infrastructure solutions and services organisation, Galaxy Backbone (GBB) has recently attained the global MSECB certifications in Management systems; the ISO 9001: 2015 standard – Quality Management Systems (QMS) and the ISO 22301:2019 standard – Business Continuity Management Systems (BCMS). These certifications re-affirm the organisation’s commitment to delivering exceptional and excellent services that enhance the sustainability and reliability of solutions provided to organisations by GBB.

In an era marked by rapid technological advancements, organizations need trusted partners driven by its commitment to provide world class services, like GBB to navigate the complexities of modern times. With these latest certifications, GBB has further positioned itself as a reputable organisation, that public and private sector organisations can rely on in their digital transformation and business sustainability journey.

According to GBB’s Managing Director/CEO, Professor Ibrahim A. Adeyanju, these certifications re-affirm the commitment we have consistently made to our customers.

In his words; ‘we are excited about these certifications, we have earned, coming at a time when customers, stakeholders and the government are searching for organisations like ours to rebuild the confidence in the system. I am proud of everyone at GBB who worked hard to ensure we attained this height and who continuously work tirelessly to provide excellent services daily’.

The ISO 9001:2015 certification, highlights Galaxy Backbone’s dedication to providing high-quality services that consistently meet and exceed customer expectations. It also underscores the organisation’s commitment to continuous improvement and customer satisfaction across all aspects of its operations.

On the other hand, the ISO 22301:2019 certification showcases GBB as that organisation committed to institutionalizing business continuity management system processes to enhance business sustainability and resilience. This certification demonstrates GBB’s commitment to maintaining uninterrupted business operations, even during unexpected disruptions like natural disasters, cyber-attacks, or other emergencies.

Galaxy Backbone is the digital Infrastructure platform at the forefront of providing cutting-edge Cloud, Colocation, Connectivity and Cybersecurity solutions and services to organisations. The company is dedicated to fostering reliable partnerships with key stakeholders and service providers in expanding fibre connectivity across cities and local communities.