As part of its efforts to modernise
agriculture, the Federal Government has said it has concluded
arrangements to empower 10 million farmers in the rural areas across the
country with cell phones.
The distribution of the cell phones
worth about N60bn to the benefiting rural farmers is expected to
commence by the end of the first quarter of this year.
The Permanent Secretary, Federal
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, who
disclosed this on Tuesday during a sensitisation and orientation
programme organised in Igan Ipabi for farmers in Ijebu East Local
Government Area of Ogun State, said the fund for the project had already
been provided by the government.
She also said that farmers would get 50 per cent subsidy on fertiliser and other necessary assistance from the government.
Odusote said that the plan was part of
the e-Wallet project under which the ministry officials would be able to
educate, inform and communicate with the farmers in the rural areas
across the country on the latest and best agricultural practices, as
well as the current prices of commodities in the market.
She said the provision of the cell
phones to the rural farmers was being undertaken by the Agriculture and
Rural Development ministry in collaboration with the Ministry of
Communication Technology.
The permanent secretary added that the
Ministry of Communication Technology had already discussed with the
various service providers on how to execute the project.
Odusote said the 10 million cell phones
would be procured from manufacturers in China and the United States,
adding that the two countries also had interest in investing in
Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
She said, “We are talking about 10
million phones. Each phone will be about N4,000 or N6,000 because they
are in large quantities, we are not just going to buy them in pieces
like that. Probably, we will buy direct from the manufacturing
companies.
“As part of the e-Wallet, that is,
electronic wallet, which we are promoting; the handsets will be the tool
with which we will communicate with farmers in the rural areas. Deep
into the interiors, we will be able to communicate with them.
“We are actually working with the
Ministry of Communication Technology, which is talking to the network
providers. We have agreed that they are going to expand their networks
into the rural areas where normally they will say there is no economic
viability. But because the Federal Government will be putting some
support into this, they will go into the hinterlands and create and
expand their networks so that we can have access.”
The permanent secretary also said
because of the problem of inadequate power supply, the rural farmers
that would benefit from the e-wallet project would also be provided with
solar-powered lamps with which they could charge the cell phones.
Odusote said, “They (farmers) will be
able to charge their phones because we are looking at the complete value
chain concerning this matter. And the emphasis is on women and young
people, the youth, so that the ageing population of farmers can actually
rest and the younger generation that will understand what we are
talking about in terms of electronic systems will be able to come alive
and take over farming in Nigeria.
“We are creating awareness and as we are
doing so, we are calling young people to begin to take interest in the
rural areas and farms, and we are encouraging them by creating enabling
environment for them so that they can now find it convenient to do what
we are asking them to do. We look forward to getting good results.”
The Regional Director, Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr. Olalekan Quadri, said plans had
reached an advanced stage to ensure that farmers had access to
mechanised implements.
He said farmers would also seize the
opportunity of the cell phones to be given them to transact business and
sell their produce with less stress.
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