Dr Lekan Tobe, Country Director, Heifer International, made this known at the grand finale of the 2024 AYuTe Africa Challenge Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
Tobe said that the initiative would encourage innovators to leverage technology to achieve transformation in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
“Leveraging youth and technology presents an opportunity for the transformation of agriculture, ensuring food security, youth employment, and economic development.
“It is technology that is helping us to close the yield gap, and create sustainable value chains, reduce post-harvest loss, and increase fertiliser, water and soil use efficiency.
“It also helps smallholder farmers to be better organised and to build improved strength to engage with the market,” he said.
According to him, the competition serves as a springboard for identifying and supporting outstanding young agritech innovators for visibility, growth and increased productivity for smallholder farmers.
He added that through a regional competition, Heifer International awarded 1.5 million dollars annually to leading agritech innovators across Africa.
Prof. Akeem Oyerinde, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Abuja, emphasised the role of youths in leveraging technology to transform agriculture system in the country.
“We all need to rejuvenate agriculture to where it belongs.
“Each and every one of you can key into any agricultural products and business by using the various technology.
“A technology like the mobile phones can be used to promote productivity and address some of the challenges affecting smallholder farmers in Nigeria,” he said.
Also, Daniel Bature, Director, Technical Services, Nasarawa State Agricultural Development, urged youths to utilise technology and create innovations that would develop Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
Femi Oluwagbemi, Special Adviser to the Minister of Labour and Employment, said that with agriculture, young people could easily get into the process of job creation, self employment and organise themselves into cooperatives.
“By so doing, they will have the chances to access funding from programmes such as this,” he said.
Manir Umar, Special Adviser to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security on Youth and Agricbussiness, said that collaboration with stakeholders would ensure the implementation of policies in Nigeria.
“The government can create policies, but cannot be the implementers, so, we try to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure efforts like this are being strengthened
“Youths are the drivers of agriculture revolution. So, the ministry is giving a lot of focus of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries include: Ruth Ede of Scratop Nigeria Ltd., who was awarded 20,000 dollars grants for her innovation in converting bio waste into nutrients-rich bio fertilisers.
Akpem Shadrach of Vet Konect, a digital animal health company, secured 12,000 dollars for his innovation in providing comprehensive care for livestock farmers across Africa via mobile devices using AI tools to boost productivity.
Also, Chinasu Stephanie -Meltus of Scarecrow Green Eden’s 4th industrial revolution, got 8,000 dollars for using technology in combating climate change effects and increasing farming efficiency for smallholder farmers.
Ede, the highest beneficiary, told NAN that she would use the 20,000 dollars grant to improve access to nutrients-rich biofertiliser for farmers to boost their production. (NAN)
