Experts harp on smart farming to boost economy
Chief Executive Officer, Myfarmbase Africa, Oluwafemi Royal Aliu,
Some experts in the agricultural sector have called on Nigerian youths to leverage the innovative emerging technologies to power agriculture and boost the nation’s economy in an effort to create employment rather than wait for white collar jobs.
This call came during the Smart Farming Café hosted recently by Myfarmbase Africa, at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), aimed at exposing the youths to innovative ways through which agriculture can be powered in Nigeria.
According to the experts, the application of innovative emerging technologies in farming, otherwise known as Smart Farming by Large Cooperates and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), would increase agricultural output for export and improve Nigeria’s economic fortunes.
The Agribusiness Professionals, Abdulafeez Onikola and Kehinde Adams, noted that smart farming would upscale crop production and enhance critical value chains that can be plugged into, to earn profit sustainably.
They maintained that the reason why a lot of young people became disillusioned with agriculture, was because of unrealistic expectations and hasty decisions that could have been eliminated using Smart Farming.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer, Myfarmbase Africa, Oluwafemi Royal Aliu, said that Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools like Blockchain, can play important role in simplifying supply chain activities and can be leveraged on profitably to maximise income earning.
Speaking on reason for hosting the event, he said: “We are concerned about youth unemployment and how the pool continues to expand. With over 500,000 students graduating from higher institutions in Nigeria annually, we aim to empower them to be self-employed in the agricultural sector leveraging technology.”
Meanwhile, participants were trained on use of existing smart farming tools and technologies and how they can harness opportunities in the agricultural sector; maximize profit in order to thrive in the country.
The event also exposed participants to practical experience on how Unmanned Aerial Vehicles otherwise known as drones can play vital roles in improving data collection and promoting precision farming.
