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Showing posts with label ICT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ICT. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Forum says ‘Leverage ICT to transform agriculture’ - NaijaAgroNet

Over 200 attendees at the 2018 Global Forum just concluded in Marrakesh, Morroco, have called for the leveraging of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a veritable tool for the transformation of agriculture, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

The Forum, NaijaAgroNet reports was supported by the European Union and organized by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), made this call in its outcome document.

The Forum also made a strong case for greater investment in innovation, stressing that digital technologies are transforming every sector of the global economy, including agriculture.
New technologies are improving agricultural productivity, lowering carbon emissions and making better use of the earth's natural resources. They are also making information more accessible to small-scale producers across the globe.

While the 
private sector is largely driving the development of such technologies, the public sector can help facilitate their adoption and keep an eye on technologies that have the power to bring positive outcomes, especially to small-scale farmers and small-to-medium enterprises. That means understanding the different technologies - and obstacles hindering their uptake, especially by small-scale producers - and identifying the necessary policies, regulations, incentive frameworks and capacity development.

Other discussions at the Forum focused on the private sector's views on investing in emerging markets and managing risks in value chain financing, and on the importance of making agrifood systems greener as well as more inclusive, especially for women and youth.   


Isaac Oyimah/GEE

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Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Commission urges ICT use to drive SDGs

The Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development has urged policymakers, the private sector and other partners to make deployment of broadband infrastructure a top priority in strategies to accelerate global development and progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reports NaijaAgroNet.

A statement presented at the 2017 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), which is ongoing in New York City 10-19 July 2017 to guide global efforts on the achievement of the SDGs.

The Commission, a high-powered community, including top CEO and industry leaders, senior policy-makers and government representatives, international agencies, academia and organizations concerned with development – outlines the many ways that broadband can improve global sustainable development, and in so doing, better the lives of millions around the globe.

These include addressing basic needs such as healthcare and food production, and helping lift people out of poverty through e-commerce opportunities and job growth, monitoring climate change and planetary processes, and bridging the digital gender divide.

"We must work together," said the Commission in its statement, "to harness the opportunities and benefits of ICTs, new and emerging technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, as well as broadband-based technologies, while safeguarding against their downsides and risks. This will be critical to achieve the SDGs and realize the future we want. Let us seize the historical opportunity of the SDGs to build a model of sustainable development anchored by universal access to affordable broadband technologies and digital literacy in order to fulfil a future where no one is left behind."

"The theme of the 2017 High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is 'Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world'. The Broadband Commission statement to the HLPF highlights the critical role of ICTs to do so, and outlines the fundamental role broadband technology can play in helping the world achieve its most pressing sustainable development goals," said Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General. "Their statement urges HLPF attendees to recognize the need for the global roll-out of broadband infrastructures, devices, applications and services to make progress towards achieving the SDGs."


Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Wednesday, March 1, 2017

ICT incubation provides sexy part to agriculture

The co-founder and executive partner at LoftyInc Allied Partners, Mr. Michael Oluwagbemi, has identified Information and Communication Technology (ICT) start-up incubation and acceleration in agriculture, as the sexy part needed by the youths in farming, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Oluwagbemi made this known in a recent edition of ICTUpdate Newsletter, saying that ICT start-up incubation and acceleration in agriculture provides a unique opportunity to re-engage African youths across the agriculture value chain.

This, he also said affords the youth to be empowered with technology.

“So, Africa can develop its own technologies fit for purpose and feed her citizens freed from the external dependency,” he said.

Oluwagbemi equally said, this part provides the sexy back in agriculture for the youths which makes the farms potentially the office of the future.

As said by him, the surest path for revenue generation or profitability for any start-up in Africa is to create value.

“Start-ups that add real value to their customers; the farmers and the consumers, become the winners in the market,” he declared.


To do so, he prescribed having a required degree of collaboration with existing players, and leveraging the market channels that traditional players had built but have exploited sub-optimally.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Pix: Michael Oluwagbemi

Friday, June 10, 2016

G20 Ministers of agriculture affirm importance of ICT

The G20 Ministers of Agriculture have affirmed the importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the end of their meeting, reports NaijaAgroNet.
A communique from the meeting made available to NaijaAgroNet, the ministers affirmed the importance of ICT in agriculture, calling it “essential to human, social and economic development,” and stressing “the potential to reach farmers --including smallholders and family farmers-- with timely and accessible content on markets, sustainable and efficient farming practices and new technologies
The partnership structured at the G20 meeting, NaijaAgroNet gathered is part of a larger digital strategy Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) is developing  to integrate a wide range of technologies, ranging from satellite data to mobile phones and social platforms, with the agency’s work to support the most vulnerable with access to information and bottom-up learning.
“We have to bear in mind that small farmers in developing countries are often constrained in their access to inputs, technology, and markets. In order to ensure that farmers fully leverage the ICT opportunities, it is essential to provide digital tailored access, foster capacity development and facilitate the exchange of experiences,” he said.
The FAO Director-General, José Graziano da, highlighted joint work between FAO and G20 countries on such projects as the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), the Tropical Agriculture Platform (TAP) and the G20 Technical Platform for the Measurement and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste.
He also underlined the ongoing international efforts to address Antimicrobial Resistance in partnership with the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health and called on G20 countries to support FAO in this endeavour. 
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Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Security: Fashola improves Lagos State with ICT Resource Centre



Setting a path to follow, the Governor of Lagos state, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola has improved security in the state with a donation of an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Resource Center to the Lagos Police Command, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The centre which is located at C Police command Surulere area of Lagos State, he said, is part of some 100 resource centers being built by his government and expressed hope the centres will be completed and handed over to police across the state before the end of his tenure by May 29, 2015. 

The Governor added that the resource center will help the police to carry out an effective operation in reducing tedious record management system and tracking crime evidence locations, as capable staff has been trained by the ministry of science and technology to man the facilities, which include Digital Asset Management Systems, Digital Camera and two KW sola installations among others.

The governor also stressed the importance of communications technology saying “We cannot over-emphasize the importance of information communications in our lives. What we have done with these centers is to empower and enable the police to be able to keep detailed records of evidences. 

For instance, why do we have to keep a vehicle that was involved in an accident in the station for so long and allow it to rot, thereby losing value and depriving the owner of the vehicle? With this centre, the police can just take the photographs of the vehicle from all possible angle and incident it in their electronic file,” he said.

Kayode Aderanti, the commissioner of police commended Fashola for his concerns on the welfare of the police, saying that police would not have attained the height they are right now in Lagos, if not for the governor.
 
Dozie Anibueze/GEE
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Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Investment in ICT to boost healthcare markets in MEA



Investments in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector are anticipated to boost the four core healthcare markets of Middle East and Africa over five years, reports NaijaAgroNet

Latest study made available to NaijaAgroNet by International Data Corporation (IDC), spending on Information Technology (IT) services and products among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirate (UAE) will grow by 70 per cent over the next five years, expanding at 11.2 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the five-year period from 2013 to 2018.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that spending priorities based on the study by IDC will be strongly driven by healthcare policy mandates and efficiency improvement needs. 

In the context of a pronounced shortage of IT expertise among healthcare organizations, NaijaAgroNet reports that IDC Health Insights expects the demand for IT services to continue to rise in all four markets. In fact, IT services will be the fastest growing segment of the healthcare providers' market, with particularly intense growth projected in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Additional highlights from the data showed that spending on mobile devices and networking equipment will contribute significantly to overall hardware spending growth in all four markets.
In the software segment, NaijaAgroNet reports that system infrastructure software still accounts for the largest share of total external IT spending. 

While clinical information systems, NaijaAgroNet gathered, makes up the smallest share but will post the fastest growth at 13.5 per cent annually.

Nino Giguashvili, senior research analyst for IDC Health Insights, confided in NaijaAgroNet that all the four markets are set to grow at an impressive rate, stressing "While these markets present exceptional opportunities to healthcare IT suppliers across the whole ecosystem, it is the right time to focus on mobile solutions to healthcare providers' organizational needs, and MEA's healthcare challenges overall."

The study further gathered by NaijaAgroNet indicates IDC's Middle East and Africa Healthcare Provider 2013 IT spending and 2014–2018 Forecast provides IT spending data and forecasts for 15 technologies and five countries (Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates).

Anulekha Shetty of the Public Relations told NaijaAgroNet that the study has been designed to help IT suppliers identify short and long-term opportunities and for health providers to assess the state of the market.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Thursday, January 2, 2014

Scholarship for 10-day course on ICT, agro-design


Scholarship for a 10-day online course on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Design in agriculture and biodiversity issues is now open for interested candidates, reports NaijaAgroNet exclusively.

A researcher and practitioner in the application of Information and Communication Technologies for sustainable development, with focus on agriculture and natural resources management in developing and emerging regions, Prof.  Simone Sala confirmed this to NaijaAgroNet.

According to him, the course will be delivered in January 2015 and will be part of a Master to be held in Italy that will explore how design could contribute to a variety of fields.

He also advised interested and potential students to be mindful of the deadline which is January 10, 2014, just as some scholarships are still available for the course.

NaijaAgroNet also gathered that for instance, part of the course would be Biodiversity 101 which would afford students to learn about the new outputs for the transmission of know-how through the Massive Online Open Courses system applied to biodiversity of the XXI century.

“Together with the Mooc Design 101 team and the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Milan, students will build a system of contents for e-learning in light of Expo2015,” he disclosed, stressing that the teachings will range from videos to other interactive elements and social media that convey digital content to the mass community.


He also revealed to NaijaAgroNet that they are partnering with IdLab, a design company specialised in solving problems of innovation technology. Its variety of competences allows for imagining and realising complex projects where technologic and procedural solutions blend with innovative products and services, for example aesthetics, language, communication, usability, functionality, ambientation, re-use, information, sharing, innovation simplification, interaction and sustainability.

Isaac Oyimah/GEE
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Sunday, November 10, 2013

'Mobile phones indispensable to smallholder farmers transformation'

NaijaAgroNet:

Director, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, Mr. Michael Hailu has described Information and communication technology (ICT) tools as an indispensable to the transformation of small holder farmers reports NaijaAgroNet.

He made this known to NaijaAgroNet, at a recent conference on ICTs in agriculture in Kigali, Rwanda, which ended at the weekend.

Pan Africa News Agency (PANA) reports that the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint ACP-EU institution active in agricultural and rural development in ACP countries, with the mission to advance food and nutritional security, increase prosperity and encourage sound natural resource management in ACP countries.

Hailu was quoted as saying that on this continent, 65 per cent of the workforce is employed in agriculture and the sector generates 32 per cent of Gross domestic products - GDP. Smallholder farmers, mostly women, produce 80 per cent of Africa’s food,

African countries, he said, spend up to US$ 50 billion a year on food imports, stressing that with abundant land, water and cheap labour, there is no good reason why Africa should import so much food.

“Yet there’s good reason to be optimistic. After years of neglect, governments and the private sector are increasing investments in agriculture,' Hailu said.

To achieve its full potential, he posited that smallholder agriculture must be transformed from a subsistence activity to a profitable, sustainable business and ICTs play a vital role in this transformation.

"They provide timely advice and information. They help farmers increase productivity. They make markets more efficient. And they increase incomes," he said.

Emphasising that in 2000, there were just 16.5 million mobile subscriptions in Africa, 13 years later, there are over 650 million.

"Indeed, the number of people on the continent with access to mobile phones exceeds the number with access to clean water, electricity or a bank account” he said.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that ICT4Ag held under the theme 'The Digital Springboard for Inclusive Agriculture´ Conference, was hosted by CTA, the Rwandan Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI) as well as the Ministry of Youth and ICTs (MYICT).

Isaac Oyimah with agency reports/GEE
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Pix: Director, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation, Mr. Michael Hailu

Friday, April 27, 2012

African agric ministers call for the use of biotechnology, ICT



Agriculture and Science and Innovation Ministers in Africa have called for the use of modern technologies like biotechnology and ICT in agricultural research, reports NewsTime.

The ministers NaijaAgroNet learnt at the ended of the second dialogue of agriculture, science and innovation ministers in Accra also call for the creation of Innovation Fund for Agricultural Transformation (IFAT) in a bid to boost extension and increase access to information and knowledge.

The Ministers in a communiqué released at the end of the meeting asserted that the creation of the funding mechanism will stimulate both public and private investments across the continent which will sustain transformation of agriculture.

Executive Director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), Monty Jones said there is a need for paradigm shift that would transform African Agriculture. "The mindset that we can sustain ourselves through subsistence farming has trapped the continent in a cycle of famine and failed harvests."

Monty also said that African farmers do need improved seeds and other inputs, and timely advice on how use them, saying "Africa’s farmers do not need pity. They need support." 
NaijaAgroNet further gathered that participants at the dialogue said that African farmers need greater access to improved, resilient seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, weather insurance and other means to improve their farm production.
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Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Agrobiz tops agenda as young entrepreneurs gather in Cotonou

Cotonou a city in Benin Republic would soon play host to some young entrepreneurs whose top agenda is agro business and leadership with the anticipated launch of Global Youth Innovation Network (GYIN).

The four-day knowledge and experience sharing event would focus on promoting youth empowerment, reports MenaFn.

The event titled "Youth Entrepreneurs - Agents of Change" is expected to bring over 100 youths from around the world together to discussion issues focusing on agricultural business, innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership.

Organized by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Phelps Stokes Fund with the collaboration of Benin Government, Songhai Centre, Palmares DundacAGBPo Cultural, FundaciA'n Activos Culturales Afro (ACUA) and the GIVE 1 Project.

The director of IFAD's West and Central Africa Division, Mr. Mohamed Beavogui said the event would be an exciting medium to gather young people in order to define with the youths about their objectives and strategies to improve the quality of their lives.

GYIN, he said, would be launched at the event scheduled to commence on October 10, 2011 to highlight youth-run enterprises that are located in, or providing products and services to rural areas.

And with the support of IFAD, GYIN will facilitate and manage entirely young people. Read more

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Thursday, October 6, 2011

ITU urges COP 17 delegates to examine potentials of ICT

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has advised delegates at the up-coming United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 17) to address the great potentials of ICT in cutting emissions across all sectors of the economy.

This call was made during the ITU Symposium on ICTs and Climate Change which held in Ghana, last weekend.

ITU in a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet stated that there should be an approach to manufacturing and recycling in order to reduce the need to extract and process raw materials.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that ITU also asked for the recognition of the value of ICTs in monitoring deforestation, crop patterns coupled with other environmental phenomena.

ITU, Secretary General, Dr. Hamadoun Toure was quoted as emphasizing on the organisation’s commitment to provide the technical know-how to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

“… It's clear to observers that ICTs have a very cogent role to play,” he declared.

Equally, he said, recognizing the role ICTs at the international level would pave the way for solid argument for countries in rolling out climate change strategies with a strong ICT element.

Also speaking, the Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau at ITU said, a world without ICT in this era is unthinkable as it integrated into almost every parts of the society.

Malcolm also said the increasing use of ICTs have changed lives with a boost to the economic growth.

"The success of technology means it is itself a growing contributor to greenhouse gas emissions." he said.

He also said a message that must be carried to COP 17 is that ICTs is providing the most significant opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, waste disposal, building and transport.

Yinka Awosanya/LS
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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Biosafety: Gates Foundation supports NEPAD with N236.9m grant

The African Union's NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency would soon receive a grant of $1,489,098, about N236.9 million in support of the African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE) that is in progress by January 2012.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that assisting Africa is the major goal of ABNE in the effort to build a functional biosafety system for sustainable and safe application of agricultural biotechnology.

The achievement of this objective, it was also gathered by NaijaAgroNet, to be achieved through the empowerment of African regulators with science-based biosafety information, training and education, in addition to technical assistance and biosafety capacity building programmes.

The fund, NEPAD officials said, is granted following the submission of a proposal to the foundation for supplementary grant in order to expand the support to African regulators with more staff and to also align with the African Union (AU) remuneration policies.

NEPAD further revealed that the grant would be accessible by January 2012.

The grant from Bill Gates foundation made the total grant awarded for the Phase II to be $11,929,537 which is about N1.9 billion.

NaijaAgroNet equally gathered that the grant is important to bridge financial shortfalls in meeting programmatic activities and to ensure ABNE delivers on its objectives as revealed in the grant proposal.


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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Kenya urges ACP to invest more in agrotech

A call has been made by Kenya to African, Caribbean and Pacific States (APC) countries to give more funds to agricultural and technology development in order to help its marketability, reports CoastWeek

This call was made by Romano Kiome, Kenya Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture while at Eastern and Southern Africa agricultural meeting in Nairobi, Kenya recently.

He said if agriculture is to become a profitable venture in the continent, the priorities must be inputs, markets, credit and institutions.

Inputs like seeds, fertilizer, external market, loans, research and supports from governments, he said are catalysts to a revolution in agriculture within the continent.

He also said that the use of technology in agriculture in the continent is low when compared to other nations of the world, hence the result in low productivity. Read more

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Friday, September 23, 2011

African youths possess energy, passion to use ICT

Yinka Awosanya

Co-chairman of the Broadband Commission for Digital Development (BCDD) and Rwandan President, Mr. Paul Kagame has expressed optimism on African youths’ ability to make appropriate use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).

He said that African youths possess the energy, passion and dedication to use these technologies in facing the global challenges and truly gain from ICTs.

Kagame made his voice known at the just ended Broadband Commission for Digital Development (BCDD) meeting in Rwanda, saying that the Commission has high hopes on young innovators from the continent tapping on ICT for getting Africa online.

NaijaAgroNet gathered that Kagame was optimistic that the role of youths in defining new ICT services and driving take-up remain the focus of Commission, noting that half of Africans are yet to reach the adulthood, while 42 per cent of Rwandans are under the age of 15.

The Rwandan President also stressed the fact that African leaders are to build the right environment and promote the necessary investments to allow the youths on the continent to fulfill their potential, said “African youths possess the energy, passion and dedication to use these technologies in facing the global challenges and truly gain from ICTs.”

He further said that Africans do not have to wait for another century before recognizing the fact that broadband was another missed opportunity of the continent.

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