The federal government is set to commence the collation of farmers’ databases across the country for the accurate implementation of agriculture policies and planning.

The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Digital Village Initiative (DVI) workshop on Thursday at Ikeja, Lagos.

The collation of the farmers’ database aims to weed out fake ones as beneficiaries of government intervention in the agriculture sector.

“It is indeed noteworthy that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security under my leadership have taken a pragmatic step to leverage technological solutions and available biometric data for the identification, enumeration and documentation of authentic farmers and the available farmlands,” the minister said.

Mr Kyari said that as part of the government’s effort to imbibe the DVI, it would carry out a pilot scheme of the data in Nasarawa State before adopting it nationwide.

“We are pioneering the use of the National Identification Number to authenticate Nigeria’s farmers’ registers by working in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

“We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the NIMC on this project, and we are moving forward to do a pilot in Nasarawa state.

“I am resolute to deliver a world-class farmers’ identity management system to Nigeria’s agricultural sector as a critical component of the primary data required for planning and implementation of various interventions at national and sub-national levels,” Mr Kyari said.

The minister reiterated the federal government’s commitment to providing technology-driven agriculture in partnership with the FAO for food sustainability.

“ It is exciting to note that this project aligns perfectly with the expected outcomes of the FAO DVI.

“The complementary solution is to use geo-spatial technologies for the geo-referencing of the farms, construct their virtual fences, and geo-tag the farmers to their farmlands.

“By embracing technological innovations and addressing existing challenges, Nigeria can pave the way for a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural future,” Mr Kyari said.

The minister assured that the ministry was committed to driving the agricultural sector’s digital transformation agenda.

He urged all stakeholders to collectively achieve a viable agriculture sector. The minister appreciated the FAO’s technical support and leadership in the initiative.

“We count on your continued partnership as we embark on this journey to build smart, resilient, and productive digital villages across Nigeria.

“Together, we can transform agriculture from subsistence to sustainability, from isolation to integration, and vulnerability to value,” he said.

(NAN)