Telecom
Pantami Harps on the Role of Smart Agriculture in Promoting Digital Innovation, Entrepreneurship
In a bid to build a robust environment to drive a digital platform for transformation of the Agricultural sector for a Digital Nigeria, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and in collaboration with Ekiti State Government have concluded the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) empowerment programme for 140 farmers in Ekiti State.
NAVSA is designed to support the Federal Government in its drive to create more jobs for the youthful population and attract them into agriculture, improve food productivity, increase wealth and income of farmers and agric value chain players, improve food security, promote access to international food markets and host of other agricultural products.
Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, speaking at the closing ceremony to end the adoption of the farmer in Ekiti State has said that, “The requirements to succeed in the 4th industrial revolution necessitate digitalization to be at the core of any nation’s developmental policy and strategy.
“The digital economy is the single most important driver of innovation, competitiveness and growth and there is no doubt that digitization of the economy is one of the most critical issues of our time.
“Traditional industries are being reshaped by business models that have never existed before”.
He said digitization has a proven impact on economy and society by reducing unemployment, improving quality of life, and boosting access to knowledge.
He added that It is transforming the world in almost every aspect of life during the last few decades.
The access to the internet, increase of people using mobile phones, social media and other digital services changed the way people interact, communicate, learn and work in almost every country.
“This made his Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, to unveil and launch the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria on the 28th of November, 2019 with a vision to transform Nigeria into a leading digital economy providing quality life and digital economies for all.
“This administration is building and leading the journey of digitiizing every sector of the economy,” he revealed.
Pantami asserted that the potential benefits of digitizing the agrofood sector are convincing but it would require major transformations of farming systems, rural economies, communities and natural resource management.
“This is a challenge which requires a systematic, technology-driven and holistic approach to achieving the full potential and benefits.
“This Smart Agriculture is part of promoting Digital Innovation and Digital Entrepreneurship.
“Agriculture has been very significant to our economy as a nation and it continues to remain very relevant in our country.”, he asserted.
“However, we discovered that the output we generate from Agriculture compared to our efforts and resources being spent has no justification for that in order to enhance the output from Agriculture to save cost and at the same time to integrate it, we came up with Smart Agric”, he revealed.
He stated that with the policy directive and in line with Digital Literacy and Skills, Solid Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development and Promotion as well as Indigenous Content Promotion and Adoption pillars of NDEPS, he had directed NITDA through NAVSA platform to enable the opportunities in the agricultural sector for sustainable job creation and economic diversification, he said.
“Building a digital platform to connect agriculture ecosystem to deliver services to farmers in a more productive and efficient manner is in the interest of our nurturing digital economy for a digital Nigeria.
“The Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and in collaboration with relevant stakeholders will support this initiative to ensure it is implemented in all the States in Nigeria.
“Implementation will immensely contribute to massive job creation, improvement in the income of farmers and country’s GDP, the minister disclosed.
Dr Pantami however called on private sector, development partners and state governments to support this initiative; partner with Federal Government in the areas of finance, farm inputs, research and development, capacity building, smart solutions & services, green energy among others.
“The success of this initiative in the agriculture sector will practically demonstrate the potentials inherent in digital technologies and innovations as the great enabler of the digital economy.”
Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director general of NITDA, in his remarks said, “We believe leveraging digital technologies and innovations will attract youthful population into agriculture, create new digital business models across the agriculture value chain, enable millions of jobs, increase productivity and contribution of the agriculture to GDP thereby making Nigeria a leading nation in food security and exporter of standard agricultural produce to the rest of the world”.
He recalled that the programme was first piloted in Jigawa state earlier this year adding that the project was initiated to systematically adopt farmers across the 774 local government areas (LGAs) in the country in order to equip them with necessary digital skills that will make Nigeria one of the leading nations for smart agriculture.
“This initiative is geared towards supporting Federal Government’s digital economy agenda in order to bring into reality the economic diversification of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR and ensure attainment of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) two (2) of ending hunger and achieving food security by 2030”, he said.
“AgricTech is revolutionizing agriculture from promoting indoor vertical farming in the urban areas which use up to 70% less water than traditional farms to farm automation that automates crop or livestock production cycle using Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, autonomous tractors, drones and robotics innovation etc. to livestock farming technology that makes tracking and managing livestock data-driven and much easier to modern greenhouses that are techy and data-driven,” he asserted.
Mallam Abdullahi revealed that harnessing these potentials through AgricTech to create jobs could therefore be a game-changer for the agriculture sector.
“With NAVSA, what we have done is to rethink agriculture differently, by introducing digital technologies and innovations in a strategic manner that woos and connects ecosystem players to make the journey of agriculture business seamless, productive, efficient and rewarding.
“The target of the programme is to adopt farmers in all 36 States and 774 LGAs in the country, support and equip them with skills and resources that will make Nigeria one of the leading nations in food sufficiency, security and exportation,” he added.
Mallam Abdullahi further revealed that the empowerment programme will provide Smart Device (Tablet); Seed fund of 100,000 naira for enterprise inputs; Digital Agripreneurship training & skill acquisition; Connectivity which includes one-year Internet access & closed user group (CUG) Calls for adopted farmers; NAVSA Platform (Mobile App); Financial Inclusion through Digital Wallets (Open & close wallets for each adopted farmer, input suppliers and off-takers); e-Extension services; Agric as a Business & Agro Business Models’ Opportunities; & Continuous reinvestment model.
“We would start piloting the deployment and integration of smart technologies such as IoT, GIS technologies and geospatial analysis, Artificial Intelligence, Big data analytics, blockchain among other emerging technologies to promote smart agriculture solutions that address different challenges on NAVSA platform base on sustainable business models.
“Also, we would be introducing modern greenhouses, farm automation, precision agriculture among others. These solutions will be targeted at high performing farmers,” he declared.
Dr Kayode Fayemi, executive Governor of Ekiti State, represented by Dr Olabode Adeoyi, Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, said “Agriculture is the next oil for the country, bringing about the creation of jobs, assuring citizens of food security in the country”.
“Digital Technology will enable you to do things at ease without stress, bringing about increase in productivity, creating jobs, better performance and increase revenue”, he added.
Adeoyi further said that the expectation from this programme is to address issues of land management, use of digital technologies to drive Agriculture, and changing the mindset of our youths, bringing out the various potentials embedded within them.
Ekiti State being the 1st pilot state from the southern region of the country, due to the importance of Agriculture, the state has been doing a lot towards involvement of our teeming youths into agriculture, with the aim to create jobs, and cash cow to the state, he asserted.
While applauding the efforts of Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and NITDA for the relentless efforts towards deepening the activities of Information Technology in the country, he urged participants to take the training programme seriously, simply because NAVSA has come to stay in the state with the motive to improve the agricultural sector of the state.
MTN Nigeria is accelerating investments in network expansion and modernization to address rising demand for mobile and data services across the country.
The operator is deploying additional base stations, upgrading existing infrastructure, and expanding fiber connectivity to improve network capacity, coverage, and service quality.
The investments are designed to support increasing smartphone adoption, higher data consumption, and the growing use of digital services by consumers and businesses.
MTN said the expansion aligns with its long-term strategy to enhance customer experience while strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
The company expects the ongoing upgrades to improve connectivity, support economic growth, and enable broader access to reliable telecommunications services as demand for high-speed broadband continues to increase.
Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, has announced the telco’s commitment to connecting 5,000 schools across its operating countries in Africa to the internet by 2027 through its philanthropic arm, Airtel Africa Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
So far, the $57m partnership, which was launched in 2021, has cumulatively connected 3,296 schools and provided access to over 2 million learners and about 40,000 teachers. 64 digital learning platforms have been zero-rated thereby enabling more than 11m users to access educational content at no cost.
Speaking during a visit to St. Monica’s Girls School in Lusaka, which is one of the 300 schools already connected to the internet in Zambia, the Airtel Africa CEO stated that the initiative is having a profound impact on the quality of education by expanding access to digital learning resources for African children, in collaboration with governments.
Mr Taldar added: “Students are accessing best-in-class education from the curriculum developed by UNICEF in partnership with various Ministries of Education and provided through Airtel’s connectivity.
“We are also training teachers, so that they deliver digital education effectively. We aim to continue deepening meaningful connectivity in schools by providing free internet access, zero‑rated platforms and training teachers across the continent”.
Expressing her appreciation, the Headmistress of St. Monica’s Girls’ School, Sr Matilda Soloko said: “Being among the first schools connected in the initial stage, our learners have been able to study using the learning portal and their studies have been intensified. We remain grateful to Airtel and UNICEF.”
UNICEF’s Country Representative for Zambia, Dr Saja Farooq Abdullah said: “What this partnership has brought is really bridging the equality gap and the digital divide. It is making sure that every child learns wherever they are. It was exciting and interesting to see and hear from the girls how they can learn at their own pace, how they can review the materials, and how they do their homework with comfort.
The Director of Secondary Education in Zambia’s Ministry of Education, Yvonne Mwemba Chuulu lauded UNICEF and Airtel for the partnership saying: “At the Ministry of Education, we cannot do it alone, and we are grateful for the partnership that we have today.
“Our children are able to learn in a blended fashion, where we have a teacher who is also employing digital devices. We have also heard from the learners that they are able to access the portal when they are at home, which is a good thing because our learners continue to learn in the comfort of their homes”.
The School Connection programme is expanding digital learning to learners in 13 countries: Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. By equipping these schools with internet connectivity and training teachers on using the digital tools, it is providing children, particularly in underserved and remote regions, with the digital tools and skills they need to thrive.
Airtel Africa Foundation is advancing inclusive development across four strategic pillars, Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Sustainability and Digital Inclusion.
MultiChoice has officially become a wholly owned subsidiary of French media company Canal+, marking the completion of one of the largest acquisitions in Africa’s media and entertainment industry.
The integration brings the South Africa-based pay television operator under the full ownership of Canal+, a global media group with operations in 70 countries.
Announcing the completion of the transaction on Thursday, Chief Executive Officer of Canal+ Africa and MultiChoice, David Mignot, described the development as the beginning of a new phase of growth for the broadcaster.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries.
“The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mignot said.
The acquisition combines Canal+’s international operations with MultiChoice’s extensive footprint across sub-Saharan Africa, where it serves millions of households through its DStv and GOtv platforms, as well as the Showmax streaming service.
According to Canal+, the integration will strengthen MultiChoice’s competitive position by giving it access to broader financial resources, technology, content partnerships and operational expertise.
The company said the combined business would increase investment in local content production, sports broadcasting and streaming services as competition intensifies from global platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
The transaction is also expected to provide MultiChoice with greater access to international markets at a time when traditional pay television operators are adapting to changing consumer viewing habits and the rapid growth of digital streaming platforms.
Canal+ has expanded steadily across Africa over the past decade and now assumes full control of a business operating in more than 45 African countries, further strengthening its position in the continent’s media and entertainment sector.
The acquisition followed Canal+’s gradual increase in its shareholding in MultiChoice, which began in 2024.
After exceeding the regulatory threshold, the company launched a mandatory offer in April 2024 to acquire the remaining shares of the Johannesburg-listed broadcaster.
Following regulatory approvals and shareholder acceptance, Canal+ secured control of MultiChoice in 2025 before completing the process that has now made the company a wholly owned subsidiary.
Industry observers describe the acquisition as one of the most significant media transactions involving an African company, reflecting a broader trend of consolidation as global entertainment firms seek greater scale to compete in the streaming era.
Police Busts Syndicate Who Allegedly Stole N3Bn from Financial Institution
MTN Accelerates Network Expansion to Meet Surging Telecom Demand
Court Remands Akujobi, Ex Access over alleged Theft of N294.5m
TeKnowledge, Equinix Partner to Advance Nigerian Digital Infrastructure
NSIB Faults Runway Identification, Reveals Cockpit Disagreement in Asaba Jet Incident
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Nigeria Launches FreeTV Nationwide
Mobile Internet Gender Gap Widest in Africa – GSMA
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
CANAL+ Partners Samsung to Pre-Load DStv Stream on New Samsung TVs In Nigeria, Other African Countries
Telecom3 days agoNCC Seeks Cost-Based Pricing Framework for Ducts
E-Financial3 days agoCBN Warns against Rejection of N100 Banknotes
Telecom2 days agoFixed Wired Internet Market Lags as Mobile Gains Ground
News3 days agoFlutterwave Secures Circle Ventures Investment to Deepen USDC Payment
News3 days agoHow EFCC Turned Recovered Loot Into School Supplies for Thousands of Nigerian Students
Telecom3 days agoMeta Introduces Muse Image With Advanced AI Image Editing Across WhatsApp and Instagram
News2 days agoStudy Reveals How Moniepoint is Powering Nigeria’s $11Bn Food Service Sector
E-Financial3 days agoBVN Enrollments Hit 69.55m- NIBSS