In an industry where access to reliable commodity data remains a major hurdle for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), a Nigerian business analyst has developed an innovative solution that is already attracting attention from agri-tech and finance stakeholders.

Olachi Sharon Amachukwu, formerly an Investment and Finance Officer at Midland PSI Commodity and Agro-Processing Ltd, has launched the Agro-Processing Data Insights Portal (ADIP), an open-source platform that provides real-time dashboards, forecasting models, and an API for commodity price benchmarking.

According to Amachukwu, the concept for ADIP was born during her time at Midland PSI, where she worked on high-profile agricultural investment projects, including feasibility studies and financial models for rice milling and commodity processing plants. “One of the recurring challenges we faced was the lack of reliable, standardised datasets,” she explained. “Investment decisions were slowed down by fragmented data sources, inconsistent price records, and limited transparency in forecasting. I realised that if these issues were affecting large projects with strong financial backing, the pain was even greater for SMEs and cooperatives.”

The ADIP portal directly addresses these gaps. Users can explore Power BI dashboards of historical and current commodity prices for staples like rice, cassava, and palm oil, while predictive models provide three- to twelve-month outlooks. Importantly, SMEs can upload their own sales and purchase records in Excel or CSV format, instantly generating benchmarking reports that compare their performance against industry averages. A lightweight REST API also allows developers and researchers to integrate the data into their own systems.

“This project is a bridge between the financial rigour I applied at Midland PSI and the accessible digital tools that smaller businesses need,” Amachukwu said. “ADIP is designed to lower the barrier to data-driven decision-making in agriculture.”

Industry observers have praised the initiative. Global View Institute, a Lagos-based research consultancy, described the portal as “a timely open-source contribution that could reshape how agro-processing SMEs approach pricing and investment strategy.”

By publishing the platform openly on GitHub and hosting a demo with downloadable datasets, Amachukwu has signalled her commitment to community-driven innovation. “Too often, powerful tools remain locked behind paywalls or corporate silos,” she added. “I want ADIP to be freely available, so SMEs, NGOs, and regulators can all benefit.”

The launch of ADIP has already drawn interest from agricultural cooperatives and financial advisors who see potential in the platform’s benchmarking capabilities. For Amachukwu, it is just the beginning: “My vision is to continue building open-source solutions that democratise access to data and analytics, starting in Nigeria but with global application.”