The Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) has warned that Nigeria could spend $110 billion on food imports in 2025 if it fails to adopt and strengthen digital agricultural extension services.
Dr. Godwin Atser, SAA’s Country Director, made this statement at the Annual Stakeholder Workshop in Abuja, themed “Transforming the Agricultural Landscape through Digital Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services.”
Atser identified extension and advisory services as key to agricultural transformation, stressing that continuous spending on food imports is unsustainable.
“If we continue to do that, it means we are exporting jobs, and that will further affect our economy.However, if we are importing food while our productivity remains low, climate change—one of the major challenges—will only worsen the situation.”
He called for immediate stakeholder intervention to address the gaps in Nigeria’s agricultural extension services, urging a shift in approach.Despite the availability of innovations capable of transforming agriculture, Atser noted that the country’s extension system remains weak.
“In some states, there is no extension service at all. Economies that make progress in agricultural transformation are those that place strong emphasis on technology transfer.”
Speaking on the workshop’s theme, he pointed out that over 90% of Nigerians use mobile phones, with internet penetration growing rapidly across Africa.
He emphasized the need to harness these opportunities to provide farmers with timely, high-quality information to improve their productivity and livelihoods.
“Harnessing the power of digital solutions will be a crucial tool for agricultural transformation.In today’s fast-changing world, digital solutions are revolutionizing how we deliver extension and advisory services, bridging gaps, empowering stakeholders, and ensuring critical knowledge reaches those who need it most.”
Atser also highlighted the increasing role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in global agriculture, stating that AI-driven tools can predict various factors affecting the sector through computer-based analysis.
He stressed that stakeholders must leverage digital tools to transform agriculture while fostering collaboration to improve productivity.
“The key to addressing the productivity challenge in agriculture and making digital solutions effective is collaboration.”
(NAN)