Anthony Nwakaegho/NaijaAgroNet
The Minister of Communication
Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, has acknowledged that agriculture is an
information intensive industry.
highest number of people, with the highest contribution to the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP).
Also, she said, ICT is the fastest growing sector in the economy
today with increasing rate of contribution to GDP from 5.3 per cent in 2011 to
about 8 per cent in first quarter of 2013.
“At every point in time in the agricultural value chain there can
be an application of technology and that varies from information systems
including DSS/MSS/GIS etc., ICT-enabled learning and knowledge exchange,
modelling solutions, sensory and proximity devices, ICT-enabled networking
solutions, online commerce tools (eCommerce/mCommerce),” she said.
Omobola explained that the Federal Government saved
N25billion in 2012 through the e-wallet programme of the Ministry of
Agriculture’s Growth Enhancement Support Scheme, while Nokia Life which is a
Nokia proprietary initiative complements the extension services to farmers as
it gives information to farmers on weather, soil and so on.
NaijaAgroNet
gathered from the Minister that ICTs are becoming the channel by which inputs such
as fertilizer are distributed to about 10 million farmers registered in 2012 and
the e-wallet programme has helped in making sure that the farmers get these
inputs at the right time and in the right quantities.
Based on this fact, it was discovered that ICTs through various
interventions had made way for more efficient markets between buyers and
sellers both locally and internationally.
However, the CommTech Minister said, that to get the full force of
ICT in agriculture the connectivity gap, innovation gap and market gap have to
be filled because about 50 per cent of rural population is not connected to any
network at all, and that the ministry is
using ICTs to increase the attractiveness of the agric sector.
NaijaAgroNet.. Linking agrobiz, people & technologypix:Minister, Communication Technology,Mrs Omobola Johnson
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