The Government of Nigeria and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) are leading efforts to establish the Nigeria Agri-Innovation and Digital Agriculture Platform, a robust system designed to support actors by digitising agricultural value chains.
The platform leverages a collaborative, ecosystem co-creation approach, involving both public and private stakeholders to ensure transformative, long-lasting impact.
This initiative was made known at the Inception Workshop launching the FAO Digital Village Initiative in Lagos, held recently in Lagos.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders to explore innovative solutions for addressing critical challenges in sustainable agricultural production and livelihoods, such as the lack of validated farms and farmer data, post-harvest losses, workforce reskilling, and agricultural enterprise incubation and acceleration.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, emphasised that the initiative aligns perfectly with the government’s unwavering commitment to leveraging digital tools to foster transparency and accountability within Nigeria’s agrifood systems.
He described the event as a bold step toward the establishment of the National Integrated Digital Agriculture Platform (NIDAP) that would “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”.
We will work closely with state governments, local communities, the private sector, research institutions, and farmer-based organizations to ensure that this platform is people-centered, locally owned, and fit for purpose”, Senator Kyari stated.
The Nigerian agricultural sector is at a crossroads, urgently requiring modernization across the entire value chain to secure the nation’s food and nutrition needs.
Emerging advancements in accessible, affordable, and adaptive technologies present an unprecedented opportunity to drive agricultural productivity and resilience.
Despite the deployment of proven technologies and innovations at scale by operators at national, sub-national, and international levels, these solutions have often remained localized within specific projects and programs, limiting their impact on Nigeria’s agricultural and food transformation systems.
Recognizing this gap, the government and FAO took the bold steps to harmonise existing innovations and create a unified platform for a sustainable agrifood system in Nigeria.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, explained the FAO Director General’s vision to support actors across the agricultural value chains through innovative technologies worldwide. He emphasized that the Digital Village Initiative (DVI) aligns with the government’s vision to digitally transform the country’s agrifood systems.
“We have the shared vision to optimize resources, improve market access, strengthen supply chains, and equip farmers with essential digital skills. Through data analytics, precision agriculture, smart farming techniques, and mobile solutions, we will boost productivity, minimize waste, and build resilience against climate change”, Mr. Kouacou said.
While welcoming participants, the Lagos state Commissioner of Agriculture and Food Systems, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, noted the readiness of the state government to adopt all forms of transformative agriculture, particularly those related to digitization, for the development of agrifood sectors at the sub-national level.
She further emphasized that “Lagos state is fully committed to being the model state for this initiative and a strong collaborator in scaling up its outcomes across Nigeria and Africa”.
During the event’s presentations, which included topics such as harnessing ICT for Development for Nigeria’s agricultural transformation, Professor Francisca Oladipo, Vice Chancellor of Thomas Adewumi University Oko, discussed the quick wins solutions that ensure “middlemen are eliminated, and farmers are connected directly to the buyers, also having access to digital lending platforms.”
She added that “digital agribusiness hubs encourage youth participation, making agriculture more innovative and sustainable.”
Professor Faith Ibrahim, from the Federal University of Technology, Minna, emphasised the need to leverage Nigeria’s youth population for the initiative to succeed.
She reiterated, “The youths of today are tech-driven, with the platform for digital agriculture available, we would see a drive in acceptance among the youths and the desire to be part of this new perspective in agriculture, the tech perspective.
“We need to use what attract them, they are engrossed in Facebook, Instagram, twitter (X), TikTok, so the best way to catch them and have them involved in the transformation of agriculture is through digital innovations”, noted Professor Olumiyiwa Jayeoba, President of the Association of Deans of Faculties of Agriculture in Nigerian Universities.
