Climate Change: Stakeholders Urge Farmers To Embrace Digital Solutions

Stakeholders within the agricultural sector have urged Nigerian farmers to embrace digital technology as a strategic response to the challenges posed by climate change.

This was underscored in Abuja during a national validation workshop on “Promoting Digital Solutions for Farmers in Remote Communities to Adapt to Climate Change in Nigeria.”

A recent study has revealed a noticeable impact of climate change on crop growth, with fruits traditionally cultivated in the North now thriving and being harvested in the South East on a commercial scale.

Addressing participants, the Programme Manager for Agriculture at the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Hugh Briggs, emphasised that digital solutions offer a practical pathway for empowering farmers to navigate the consequences of climate change.

He also highlighted the pivotal role played by smallholder farmers in ensuring food security, economic growth, and poverty reduction in the sub-region. “We aim to build partnerships and collaborations that will leverage technology and innovation to create new opportunities for farmers, enhance their productivity, and bolster their resilience against the impacts of climate change,” he stated.

As a key partner to the Nigerian government, the EU has launched the Global Gateway strategy in collaboration with the Nigerian government. The strategy focuses on ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

The EU-sponsored project, in partnership with the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuawo, Imo State, University of Agriculture Abeokuta, and Al-Hikmah University Ilorin, Kwara State, drew the participation of government officials, development partners, private sector players, and technology innovators.

Addressing the audience, the acting vice chancellor of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Prof Christopher Eze, emphasized the sustainability and efficiency of digital farms compared to traditional ones. He expounded on the advantages of digital agriculture, including streamlined communication, effective monitoring, better documentation, and more informed decision-making, resulting in time and cost savings.

Eze stressed that integrating technology into the agricultural sector involves diverse strategies, including artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, mobile technologies, and other digital solutions. He noted, that “Digital technologies have the potential to provide farmers with the information and ability to address challenges and harness opportunities for growth, thereby enhancing precision agriculture.”

The workshop aimed to showcase concrete examples of technological innovations transforming subsistence agriculture into a digitally compliant sector. It also sought to generate recommendations that would add value to the study of agriculture in tertiary institutions.

During his presentation, the national project coordinator, Prof Chris Emenyonu, revealed that climate change has significantly altered crop growth patterns. Fruits previously grown in the North are now flourishing in the South East, providing commercial viability. Crops such as cucumber, watermelon, Zobo Leaves (Hibiscus Flower), and tiger nut are now cultivated in abundance in the region.

Prof Emenyonu identified climate change variables leading to financial losses for farmers, including excessive rainfall, high temperatures, pest infestation, late rainfall, whirlwinds, among others. He urged farmers to proactively build resistance against climate change and not wait for financial losses before adopting technology. Additionally, he called on the government to support farmers in adopting technology, recognising its pivotal role in securing the future of agriculture in Nigeria.