The federal government is exploring partnerships with local organisations to provide training and support for farmers in order to increase their production for the overall benefit of the nation’s economy.
The Head of Centre, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Ogun State, Mr. Abiodun Obafemi, explained the action of the government during a sensitisation and enlightenment programme on the AgriConnect Project organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation at Ajegunle Farm Settlement in Abeokuta.
The AgriConnect Initiative was launched in the state in June by the State Government, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. The initiative was aimed at empowering farmers with digital tools to boost productivity, enhance market access, and drive sustainable growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Obafemi explained that AgriConnect was part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to improve agriculture and rural livelihoods. He said the app was designed to provide farmers with real-time weather updates, expert advice on pest control, crop management practices, and direct market connections to eliminate middlemen and boost profits.
According to him, “The government understands that not everyone has a smartphone and can’t promise to give one to every farmer. However, the AgriConnect app is available on the Google Play Store and is designed to be user-friendly. The government is also exploring partnerships with local organisations to provide training and support for farmers in need. Why is AgriConnect important? In today’s rapidly evolving world, access to timely and accurate information is crucial. AgriConnect provides real-time weather updates, expert advice on pest control, best practices for crop management, and direct connections to markets. This means you can make informed decisions, reduce losses, and increase your income.”
Responding, farmers urged the federal government to ensure continuous upgrading of the AgriConnect app to prevent it from suffering the fate of past agricultural initiatives that were abandoned after initial excitement.
The farmers said though the AgriConnect initiative has potential to transform farming practices, its success would depend on the government’s commitment to consistent upgrades.
One of the farmers, Mr. Aderibigbe Olusegun, said: “What I believe will work is that all of us will go to the app store to download the app. But by the time we start having traffic, people won’t be able to access it again, and at the end of the day it will be abandoned. What I will tell them is to keep upgrading the app so that people can have good access to it.”
Also, the Chairman of AgriConnect at the Ajegunle Farm Settlement, Mr. Johnson Sogunle, assured the farmers that the app would not disappoint the users, noting that the federal government has put necessary measures in place to ensure that the programme is not aborted halfway.
Sogunle, however, noted that the farmers are currently losing out due to the current nature of the economy, while appealing to the government to supply them with fertilisers for planting.
He said, “At present, farmers are losing out and prices are on the high side because of the state of the economy. This is affecting farmers.”