adminLAGOS. – Nigeria’s Minister of Information Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson, says the country was encouraging the development of software that would boost the growth of agriculture.
She said Nigeria would embrace technological software to boost its food security and that of the Economic Community Of West African States region.
Johnson outlined such plans at a software conference in Calabar in the Cross River State.
She pointed out that most of the software innovations had focused on several industries such as oil and gas, entertainment, telecommunications and banking.
However, she said, none focused on agriculture despite it being a vital sector.
Outlining government’s efforts to ensure the development of such software, the minister said the next focus would be to task developers to build software that would revolutionise the agricultural sector.
“We have made some progress in the short time that the Ministry of Communication Technology has been in existence.
“There is a thriving ecosystem of innovation hubs with the private sector participating well through the Co-Creation Hub, Venia Business Hub and others.
“The government has also intervened with the set-up of the iDEA hubs in Lagos and Calabar which aim to cover both the innovation and ideation process as well as accelerating the process from ideation to business creation.
“Our first cohort of incubates at the iDEA hubs were drawn from the developers that provided solutions adjudged as having potential by the oil, gas and financial sectors,” Johnson said.
She said Nigeria’s next cohort would be tasked with building solutions for the agriculture industry.
“That is our next focus and we are working with Usaid to get developers to focus in that direction,” Johnson said.
Agriculture is a major contributor to the local economy, providing employment for 70 percent of the population. – CAJ News.
Online Reporter