Nigeria risks spending a staggering $110 billion on food imports by 2025 if the country fails to adopt and strengthen digital agricultural extension services, according to a warning issued by the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA).
Dr. Godwin Atser, Country Director of SAA, sounded this alarm during the Annual Stakeholder Workshop held Tuesday in Abuja. The workshop, themed “Transforming the Agricultural Landscape through Digital Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services,” brought together key agricultural stakeholders to discuss innovative approaches to boosting Nigeria’s food production capacity.
“If we continue along this path, we are essentially exporting jobs, which will further impact our economy,” Dr. Atser cautioned. He emphasized that the continuous spending on food imports is unsustainable and represents a significant drain on Nigeria’s foreign exchange reserves. The projected $110 billion import bill highlights the urgent need for agricultural transformation in a country with vast arable land and a large farming population.
Dr. Atser further explained that climate change compounds these challenges, stating, “If we keep importing food while our productivity remains low, climate change, one of the key factors, will further worsen the situation.” This sobering assessment underscores the need for immediate action to address the fundamental issues affecting Nigeria’s agricultural productivity.
A critical factor contributing to low agricultural productivity in Nigeria is the weak extension system, according to the SAA Country Director. Extension services, professional support that helps farmers improve their methods and increase yields, are virtually non-existent in some states.
“In some states, there is currently no extension service at all,” Dr. Atser noted. This gap prevents farmers from accessing vital information about improved farming techniques, pest management, and climate-smart agriculture practices that could significantly boost their output.
Dr. Atser pointed to successful models elsewhere, stating, “We have consistently seen that economies making progress in agricultural transformation are those that prioritize technology transfer.” This observation highlights the crucial role that knowledge dissemination plays in agricultural development and food security.
Digital Solutions as the Path Forward
The workshop focused on leveraging digital technologies to revolutionize Nigeria’s agricultural sector. With over 90% of Nigeria’s population using mobile phones and rapidly increasing internet penetration across Africa, there exists a tremendous opportunity to transform how agricultural information reaches farmers.
“Harnessing the power of digital solutions will be a key tool in driving agricultural transformation,” Dr. Atser stated. Digital platforms can provide farmers with timely information on weather patterns, market prices, pest outbreaks, and best practices, allowing them to make informed decisions that improve productivity and reduce losses.
Dr. Atser elaborated on the transformative potential of digital tools: “In today’s fast-changing world, digital solutions are revolutionizing the delivery of extension and advisory services. They help bridge gaps, empower stakeholders, and ensure that critical knowledge reaches those who need it most, whether in agriculture, health, education, or business.”
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly playing a vital role in global agriculture, and Nigeria stands to benefit significantly from its adoption. Dr. Atser highlighted that AI-driven tools can predict various factors affecting agriculture through computer-based analysis, from weather patterns to potential disease outbreaks.
These predictive capabilities allow farmers to take preventive measures rather than reactive ones, potentially saving entire harvests from devastation. AI can also optimize resource use, ensuring that inputs like water and fertilizer are applied at the right time and in the right quantities.
The integration of AI with mobile technology creates powerful tools that can reach millions of Nigerian farmers, even in remote areas. This technological convergence represents a promising pathway to transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
Collaboration: The Key to Implementation
The success of digital agricultural solutions ultimately depends on strong collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector players, research institutions, and farming communities. Dr. Atser emphasized that addressing the productivity challenge in agriculture requires coordinated efforts from all parties involved.
Such collaboration ensures that digital solutions are appropriately designed, effectively deployed, and widely adopted. It also helps in creating the necessary infrastructure and policy environment to support digital transformation in agriculture.
