Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has called for the rapid adoption of digital technology in agriculture to enhance food production, curb rising prices, and reduce the nation’s reliance on food imports. Speaking at the Ogun Tech Forward Innovation & Startups Roundtable in Abeokuta, Tijani emphasized that the country’s vast arable land and population could only be effectively harnessed through technological intervention.
“Technology innovation has already contributed 16 to 18 percent, but we are aiming for 21 percent. We need to introduce our technology into agriculture to produce enough food to feed ourselves,” Tijani stated. He warned that traditional farming methods, without tech-driven solutions, would continue to be inefficient and costly, jeopardizing food security.
Driving Change with Technology
Tijani highlighted the transformative potential of tools like mobile apps, drones, sensors, and data analytics. He noted that these technologies could enable precision agriculture, providing real-time data on soil conditions, pest control, crop health, and intruder detection.
He also called for the integration of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and drones into Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Furthermore, Tijani advocated for the adoption of generative AI in education to make learning more accessible and personalized across communities.
Ogun State’s Tech Ambitions
Adekunle Durosinmi, President of the Ogun Tech Community, urged the federal government to provide strategic support to accelerate the state’s digital ecosystem. He called for the establishment of a functional innovation hub and a permanent secretariat to nurture local startups.
“Ogun State is uniquely positioned to become a national leader in technology and entrepreneurship,” Durosinmi said, citing the state’s 29 tertiary institutions—the highest of any Nigerian state—as a strong foundation for innovation. He described Ogun as a major industrial hub and a strategic transport corridor linking Lagos with the rest of Nigeria and West Africa.
Durosinmi further pointed out that 57 percent of Ogun’s 7.1 million population is of working age, signaling a massive opportunity for digital innovation, job creation, and youth development.
