By Emmanuel Elebeke, Abuja

As food insecurity continues to bite harder in Nigeria, Sydani Group has called for the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture technologies to end the perennial food shortage in the country.

A Business Development Specialist and head of the Agriculture Unit at Sydani Group, Mr. Godfrey Meyer-Petgrave stated this at a media round table organized on the topic: Emerging Solutions for Nigeria’s Agricultural Challenges- Pathways to Resilience in Abuja.

He said Climate-Smart Agriculture technologies and practices offer promising opportunities to address Nigeria’s agricultural challenges while promoting economic growth and sustainability.

These practices he said include Conservation Agriculture; crop diversification; erosion control techniques, indigenous planting pits, improved seed; Integrated Soil Fertility Management, and Livestock Production Practices.

He said these practices are aimed at enhancing food security, while simultaneously addressing adaptation and mitigation strategies for climate change.

He also suggested a five-step roadmap. This comprised: investing in resilience-building practices and infrastructure; empowering smallholder farmers for sustainable productivity reform policies and strengthening institutions for effective coordination; promoting economic inclusion for equitable resource access and harnessing technology and innovation for optimized agriculture.

While calling for joint action for change, Petgrave posited that the food crisis in Nigeria demands urgent and concerted action by all stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

Affirming the need for digital agriculture, he called government to leverage data abundance, computing power, connectivity, and automation to drive innovation.

Precision Agriculture (PA) and smart farming technologies could revolutionize farming practices for enhanced productivity.

While reiterating the call for action, he noted that Nigeria’s food crisis has necessitated urgent attention and concerted efforts from stakeholders in both private and public sectors.

According to him, the menace of climate change, conflict, infrastructure deficiencies, economic instability, and policy gaps are complex and interconnected challenges that require collective action to be addressed.

He said Sydani Farms is committed to addressing these challenges and paving the way for a resilient and food-secure future for Nigeria.

He however, called for investment in resilience-building; policy reform and institutional strengthening; promotion of economic inclusion; implementation of policies for promoting economic inclusion, particularly for women and marginalized groups in the agricultural sector. He equally advocated for harnessing of Technology and innovation and embracing digital agriculture solutions, precision farming technologies, and data-driven insights to optimize resource management.

‘‘Overcoming food security obstacles in Nigeria requires decisive action and collaboration. With commitment, collaborative efforts, and innovative solutions, we can ensure access to nutritious and affordable food for all Nigerians. Together, let’s turn the tide on hunger, empower livelihoods, and forge a path towards a brighter tomorrow,’’ he said.

He asserted that Sydani Farms is ready to partner with stakeholders to implement practical solutions and build a resilient and food-secure future.