Heifer to solve agric challenges in Nigeria with tech innovation; to empower one million smallholder farmers by 2030
Heifer Nigeria has committed to helping to solve major challenges confronting the Agro sector in Nigeria particularly the small holder farmers with new technology innovation and deployment.
The global non-profit organization also said it’s ready to help lift at least one million smallholder farmers, largely young women and women out of poverty by ensuring they earn a sustainable living income by the year 2030 through “strategic private and public sector partnership. unlocking demand and market opportunities, leveraging finance across priority value chains, and leveraging innovation and emerging agricultural technologies to reach transformational scale”
Speaking during the just concluded National Economic Summit (NES #27) in Abuja at the side-event, with the theme: ‘Youth and Technology: The Future of Nigeria’s Agriculture,’ Rufus Idiris, the Country Director said Nigeria is blessed with large and huge population of young people but the country is currently not tapping much into their creativity.
Heifer, he said is currently investing heavily in young people to help them to be more involved and engaged in agricultural sector transformation through technology.
The organization is seeking to empower creative professionals, including ever-willing Nigerian technology-driven farmers, who are using technology to reimagine farming and food production across the country.
Also speaking during the side event, the Heifer Regional Director, Adesuwa Ifedi, said for over four decades, Heifer International has been a trusted partner for smallholder farmers across Africa. “Now, we’re eager to support them by combining the power of African youth with the many possibilities of emerging technologies, a transformative force in Nigeria.
She reaffirmed that part of the global organisation’s ambitious target was to help 10 million households close the living income gap by 2030, adding Heifer International has now extended its footprint to Nigeria, and today marks “our soft launch of Heifer Nigeria”.
She stated that Nigeria is very pivotal to ending hunger and poverty in Africa. “If we secure Nigeria’s future, then we have secured Africa’s future.”
According to her, to secure our future there is a fierce urgency of now to address the issues of food insecurity and massive food importation associated with the underperformance of our agricultural sector and food system, high unemployment among youths, and dwindling economy.
“Our first Signature Program for Nigeria is tagged “NAIJA UNLOCK”, aimed at unlocking Nigeria’s potential for food self-sufficiency, working with smallholder farmers and, market actors to fill local demands while closing the living income gap for families in selected value chains, starting with Tomato, Rice and Poultry and value chain.”
She disclosed that 20 tractors have already been given out to youths who would deploy them to assist farmers in the preparations of agricultural lands across the country, as a first step.
“Youth creativity and technology in agriculture would drive economic growth in Nigeria. Heifer is a global development organization on a mission to end hunger and poverty in a sustainable way, through working with farmers, their communities and market system actors to identify and invest in business opportunities that deliver sustainable living incomes, inclusive and resilient economies.
For 77 years, Heifer International has assisted more than 36 million people in 21 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, including the United States to end hunger and poverty”, Ifedi said.
The Honorable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammed Abubakar, who also spoke during the side-event through his Director, Federal Department of Agric Extension, Engr Frank Satumari Kudla, assured Heifer Nigeria of a conducive operating environment to carry out its plans, which ultimately will result in revamping the face of agriculture, generate employments and poverty reduction with the deployment of the latest technology in Nigeria.
He said Nigeria has large expanses of fertile farmlands laying fallow across the nation. Nigeria has one of the biggest expenses of land in Africa of which 70 per cent is available for farming.
According to him, Nigeria Government is seriously turning attention to promoting farming in Nigeria to help boost food productions in the country and minimize food importation. The government is willing to assist any would-be farming entrepreneur/investors with the necessary supports and logistics.
“Nigerians boasts of highest purchasing power in Africa. The food used for parties and merriments in Nigeria can feed four other African countries. By the time Nigeria attain its full capacity utilization in agriculture, farming will become a great foreign currency earning more than oil. The implication is that Nigeria farmers will be able to earn in Naira and Dollars as well as other foreign currencies.
The participation of youth in Agriculture is imperative for the fact that the hope and aspiration of a nation rest on them. The youth are the largest energetic, active and productive segment of the human resource of any community. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize their role in developmental activities”, the minister said.
