…says FG investing in 90,000km fibre optics cable to improve Internet connectivity

…unveils scholarship programmes for students at alma mata

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has called on Nigerian farmers to brace up for the adoption of digital and technologically driven agriculture practice, to enhance increased food production, and food security.

Tijani, who noted the nation’s population and farming practice, declared that there was no way the country would produce enough food to feed its citizens without the introduction of technology; a kind of marriage of agriculture with technology that will revolutionize farming to guarantee food security, jobs creation and increased income.

The minister, who spoke in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, during an ‘Innovation and Startups Roundtable’ session, he had with youths and technology entrepreneurs and solution providers at the Ogun Tech community, noted that these will crash prices of food items and curb needless foreign exchange wastage on imported food-grains, that could easily be produced locally if there is no marriage between agriculture and technology.

While pointing out that the country is blessed with fertile and arable land, Tijani urged farmers to leverage on technology to boost food production by introducing technology into farming practice, noting that Ukraine would not have been able to hold on this long in the conflict with Russia, if the country was not a major producers of grains using technology.

According to him, technology can significantly improve farming productivity in the country through tools such mobile apps, sensors, drones among others to provide farmers access to timely information on farming practice, crops monitoring, pest control, soil changes, intruders, etc so as to make informed decisions leading to quality yields and profitability.

Speaking earlier during his visit to his alma mata at the Anglican Grammar School, Quarry Road, Abeokuta, the minister said that the digital economy sector now contribute between 16 to 18% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and that the plan of President Bola Tinubu’s administration is to take it to 21% so as to create more much more job opportunities and wealth within the digital space.

Tijani said that the current administration recognises the power and potentials of technology and has been making deliberate investment in the sector while also empowering the youth through several initiatives such as 3MTT, Buildhaton, construction of innovation and tech hubs across the country.

He explained that “already, Digital Economy has contributed between 16 to 18% to our GDP and the target is to take it up to 21% so as to create much more wealth and Job opportunities for the people within the digital space .

“Also for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the administration of President Tinubu is investing in 90,000km of fibre optics cable across the country to achieve best internet connection anywhere in the world”

The minister said that he was in his alma mata to encourage the students and motivate them to be determine to turn out to be best, their humble background not withstanding.

He declared that the training and discipline imbibed while at the secondary school shaped him to become the person he is today.

Tijani unveiled variety of annual scholarship packages personally instituted by him for 88 students of the school, in addition to adopting a block of classroom and the science laboratory for renovation.

While addressing students at the school, the Minister announced a scholarship prize of N100, 000, with a laptop each for every top three students at every levels from JSS1 to SS2 classes.

This is in addition to clothing 70 others with a newly sown school uniforms every year.

He added that “We have also adopted one of the storey buildings, we are going to furnish it furniture and equip the classrooms with smart board.

“In the same vein, we have also adopted the Science Lab for an 100 percent renovation that will ensure that it is equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment”.

“Coming back to the school is also a way of encouraging the students here to believe that their beginning today and they can also become a minister in future, they can become an ambassadors, they can become a governor.

“They can shake the world they can become President our kids should key into that, because it is the most important thing for them to know that they can actually turn out to be best in life”.