Enugu State Government says it is set to launch an artificial intelligence-powered agricultural application and expand its greenhouse farming initiative as part of efforts to strengthening food security, promote self-sufficiency across the state’s 260 wards and create jobs for young people.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro-Industrialisation, Dr Patrick Ubru, disclosed this on Monday during the South-East Regional Consultation on the National Food and Nutrition Crisis Preparedness Plan held at the Presidential Hotel, Enugu.
He said the state was taking proactive measures to ensuring that communities could produce enough food to meet their needs and support other areas during emergencies, adding that Governor Peter Mbah’s administration has decentralised development across the 260 wards, encouraging each community to produce crops and other agricultural products based on its comparative advantage.
According to the Commissioner, the strategy would help communities support one another whenever food production was disrupted in any area. He said the regional consultation was important because governments needed to prepare for potential crises, including climate-related emergencies, pandemics and other shocks that could affect food production and nutrition.
Ubru commended the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu for initiating the regional consultations to strengthen preparedness and develop coordinated responses to food and nutrition emergencies across the country.
He announced plans to launch the” MyFarmMySwag agricultural application”, an AI-powered platform designed to improve farmers’ access to information, technical assistance and extension services.
Participants at the event .
The commissioner disclosed that the application had been tested and approved by Governor Mbah and would be launched in a few days to ensure its suitability for farmers in the state.
According to him, the platform would enable farmers to register, keep their records up to date, make requests and ask agricultural questions through their mobile phones, with an artificial intelligence system providing responses. He added that the initiative would improve access to extension services and help farmers obtain timely information to enhance productivity.
He said Enugu had also developed a digital farmers’ registry covering all 17 local government areas and 260 wards, adding that the registry now included 84,000 registered farmers, with women making up more than half of the total.
He added that farmlands were being mapped through the Enugu Geographical Information System, ENGIS. According to him, the registry would make it easier to verify farmers, map cultivated land and direct agricultural support to where it was needed most.
He said digital verification at the point of input delivery would further strengthen accountability and ensure that interventions reached the intended beneficiaries.
Commissioner for Agriculture and Agro- Industrialization, Dr Patrick Ubru
On greenhouse farming, the commissioner said about 400 greenhouses had been established across Enugu State, while the government was developing a 2,000-greenhouse pilot project for agricultural production and farmer training.
The Commissioner disclosed that the initiative was expected to create at least 10,000 jobs for youths and other residents through greenhouse construction, farming, manufacturing, processing, storage, distribution, marketing and related agricultural services.
He added the approach would strengthen the local food system while creating opportunities across the agricultural value chain. He said. training was ongoing and that 15 greenhouses had already been handed over to corporate operators, with production activities underway.
The commissioner said the government was also encouraging local fabrication of greenhouse facilities to support agricultural development, reduce costs and create more opportunities for young people.
He urged youths between the ages of 18 and 35 to register for the ongoing training programme on climate-smart agriculture through www.enugugreenhousefoster.com.
Ubru said the initiative would equip young people with the knowledge and skills required to participate in modern farming, access new jobs and take advantage of emerging opportunities in the agricultural sector.
Moon 2nd Right with female agriculture stakeholders
On seedlings , the Commissioner said the state’s seed-testing laboratory would ensure that only certified, high-quality seeds reached farmers, thereby reducing the risk of crop failure.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit, Marion Moon, said the consultation was aimed at strengthening the country’s capacity to anticipate, mitigate and respond to crises affecting food production and nutrition.
She said the consultation brought stakeholders together to examine strategies for improving preparedness, strengthening food systems and developing coordinated responses to emergencies that could threaten food availability and nutrition across the South-East
Moon identified climate change and other humanitarian factors as major contributors to food insecurity, stressing the need for coordinated action by federal and state governments.
She disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Livestock was working to re-establish ranches to provide livestock farmers with suitable locations for raising their animals.
The secretary also emphasised the importance of educating farmers on seed quality, appropriate seedlings, soil preparation and improved agricultural practices to enhance productivity and ensure food safety.
She commended state governments for taking the lead in strengthening agricultural extension services, technical institutions and other systems that provide farmers with the information and expertise needed to improve production
According to her, increased state budgetary allocations to agriculture reflected growing commitment to the sector, while federal interventions were designed to complement efforts at the state level.
Speaking , the managing /Chief Executive of Ugwunamba farms, Friday Sani Nnaji thanked the Enugu state government for its investments in Agriculture , especially provision of security, which enables farmers to go to farm without fear.
.Goodwill messages were delivered by Mrs Ifeoma Onyeator of Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, who spoke in issues of security and the activities of Non- state actors who extort money from people, the Commissioner for Agriculture and food security, Imo state , Longers Anyanwu , who was represented. He disclosed that in Imo state agriculture has been digitised and mechanized, among others
