(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/agric-sucess-300x192.jpg) The e-wallet scheme, a major driver of Growth Enhancement Support (GES) of the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) in distribution of fertilizers and other farm inputs, is a product of digital application.
The Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote said this in a paper entitled "Opportunities for Investment in Nigeria's Agriculture", which she delivered at the breakfast meeting of the College of Fellows of the Nigeria Computer Science (NCS) in Iloko-Ijesha, Osun State.
Mrs. Odusote said there are many areas the NCS could collaborate with the Agricultural Sector, pointing out that so far, "The major successes recorded in the sector came as a result of application of information technology which boosted farmers' database and smoothen the distribution of inputs effortlessly."
She told the fellows that Mr. President has been very supportive in the institutionalizing of "the democracy of the stomach". She observed that the recent approval of N10 Billion cassava bread fund was to further ginger the current aggressive activities in the agricultural sector.
The Permanent Secretary harped on the need for the NCS to key into the activities of the Ministry noting that "our partnership with NCS will enable us to achieve a better and faster result, that will enable us eliminate corruption in our system and empower a whole new generation of farmers who are now seduced into farming".
She called for support of NCS in boosting the success already recorded in agriculture in Nigeria especially in digital management of the new Silos already built all across the federation. She believed that by so doing, the sector would be able to measure content, quantity and output of grains contained in each Silo to enable the ministry efficiently manage and deploy the content.
"We need to continuously update the data and it is Information Technology that can help us to update and manage the data". She called on the fellows to take the message of the new way of doing things by the Ministry to their members especially the youth, while seeking their support; she encouraged them to go into mechanized farming as this is where all serious nations are heading to in the next decade."
The President of NCS, Mr. Ademola Aladekomo said the paper presented by the Permanent Secretary is in line with the theme of the conference which is, "e Government and National Security" in which he said agriculture could be used to get the youth to be gainfully engaged and drive them away from juvenile crimes.
He said, "Security is very pervasive, there is no economy that can grow without national security, but food security is pivotal and most important of all securities required by man."
He commended the Ministry on e-wallet initiative but called on government to apply ICT tools that would also encourage e-commerce to complete the circle.
The former Petroleum Minister and a Fellow of NCS, Chief Don Etiebet said he is very excited about the progress the Federal Ministry of Agriculture has made in recent times. "The present ministry of Agriculture has seen the potentials of agriculture; the minister has brought his wealth of experience to bear in a new way of putting agriculture in the fore-front for economic development that will enhance all kinds of things from food security to solving unemployment."
He said, NCS is contributing meaningfully into the state of agriculture in Nigeria, as he said most of the fellows who are retiring would find something to do in agriculture. He stressed the need to set up medium food processing plants whereby the ministry is linking the farmers with manufacturers of equipment that could be used to do small scale agricultural system in the rural areas.
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