TECHDIGEST – The National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture, NAVSA, of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has trained no fewer than 100 farmers on smart agriculture in Jigawa State.

The participants were trained on green energy-powered smart brooding to improve the survival rate of broilers, a smart irrigation system to support a year-long production, and soil nutrient monitoring system to support information-driven farming on a demo land.

At the end of the program, the participants were also given smart devices with internet connectivity, N100,000 seed fund, alongside Capacity Building on Agrictechpreneurship.

Other opportunities the training availed the participants with, included financial inclusion through digital wallets, access to NAVSA platform, Insurance & E-extension services; and Agriculture business model.

Speaking during the opening ceremony of the training on Friday at the Federal University Dutse, FUD, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, said the essence of the NAVSA is to shape and model the new generation of agriculturists to become smart farmers.

Another essence of the program, according to Mr Inuwa, is to support the continued adoption of the next batch and generation of Farm Practical Year, FPY, students.

He said: “The continuous adoption and sustainability of the model are premised on the design of the system that ensures continuous reinvestment of the current capital and 25% profit at the end of each season by each adopted farmer or student.

“In the next ten years in FUD, more than five thousand (5,000) students would have benefited with possibilities of an additional 500, 000 direct and indirect jobs.

“This is only in FUD. NAVSA will create win-win business models for ecosystem players with far-reaching network effects to create values that never existed before across the agriculture value chain.

“In the coming years, we would start integrating emerging technologies such as remote sensing, geospatial analysis, Artificial Intelligence, Big data analytics, blockchain among others to develop smart agriculture solutions, that create new business models and opportunities across the agric value chain for the ecosystem players.

“This will, in no measure, boost the economic diversification, growth, and prosperity of the country.

Mr Inuwa noted that the initiative was geared towards supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s digital economy agenda, and by extension the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, 1 and 2 of no poverty and zero hunger by 2030.

“To this end, I will like to appreciate the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami for his continuous support to ensure the digital economy is entrenched in every sector of the economy especially, the agriculture sector.

“I will also like to appreciate Prof. Abdulkarim Sabo Muhammad the Vice-Chancellor, FUD for providing support and necessary resources that make this happen,” Mr Inuwa added.

At the end of the program, the participants commended NITDA and the Federal Government for the empowerment, promising to make good use of the knowledge gained and items given to them.

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TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has donated 100 Lenovo Desktop Computers and 50 HP Laptops to Federal University Dutse under their Procurement of Computer System for Universities program.

The Director General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa who was represented by Hannah Peter said the purpose of the donation is to improve e-Learning in the university.

While accepting the donation, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Abdulkarim Sabo Muhammed who was represented by the Dean, Faculty of Art and Social Sciences, Prof. Lawan Shuaibu, thanked NITDA for the donation of the computers adding that it wil boost the e-learning program and the overall digitalisation agenda of the Vice- Chàncellor.

He decribed the DG as a very dynamic and focus driven individual who is in the forefront of bringing critical IT infratructure to Nigerian universities in order for them to keep pace with the 21st century adding that FUD is particularly grateful to the DG for the numerous collaborations especially in the agric sector under the Center for Agricultural Research and Extension Services (CARES) of the university.

Prof. Shuaibu said in this era of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ,universities have no option but embrace it in teaching , learning and research activities.

In a related development, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) also donated IT equipments to the University ICT Centre.

While presenting the equipments to the Vice Chancellor, NOTAP Representative, Engr. Jairus Omenka Ibu explained that this is part of the effort of NOTAP in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish IT offices in tertiary institutions adding that the Agency has recognized FUD and donated equipments to the University and the Agency will also take the full responsibility for the installation of the equipments.

In his response, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulkarim Sabo Muhammed represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Services, Prof. Nura Muhammad Sani thanked the Agency for donating IT equipments to the University.

He said the equipments will assist the University to facilitate communication, enhance learning, and participation in national and international academic discourse, adding that the management has been working seriously to put the University in the best position in the area of ICT.

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