NITDA DG Says AI Farming Platform Will Boost Nigeria’s Agricultural Productivity

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has said that the newly launched AI farming platform will significantly boost Nigeria’s agricultural productivity by equipping farmers with real-time intelligence and digital insights.

Abdullahi made the statement during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NITDA and Extension Africa Consulting Ltd on the AI-Enabled Digital Advisory Platform (AI-DAP) initiative, facilitated by the Gates Foundation.

According to him, the AI farming platform is designed to provide timely and actionable advisory services to approximately 40 million Nigerian farmers through voice and USSD-based messaging on basic mobile phones.

“AI is a powerful tool that can deliver two to three times greater productivity by equipping our farmers with intelligence and insights,” the NITDA DG said.

He explained that the platform would help farmers make informed decisions on soil health, crop management, weather forecasts, planting schedules, and fertiliser application, thereby reducing risks and increasing crop yields.

Abdullahi described the collaboration as a key alignment with Nigeria’s National AI Strategy and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for economic diversification, food security, and sustainable development.

The NITDA DG noted that Nigeria’s agriculture sector currently faces a major extension service gap, with one extension agent serving about 10,000 farmers.

He said the AI farming platform would bridge this gap by delivering expert agricultural knowledge directly to smallholder farmers, regardless of their location.

Representatives of Extension Africa Consulting Ltd expressed appreciation for NITDA’s support, highlighting the project’s focus on practical AI-driven solutions tailored to the realities of Nigerian farmers.