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IITA: Leveraging digital tools to scale cassava weed management recommendations to farmers

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The various digital tools developed by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to scale agronomic recommendations and help farmers improve productivity are currently changing the face and practice of agricultural extension in Nigeria and Africa as a whole.

This assertion was made recently by the IITA Digital Extension and Advisory Services Specialist, Godwin Atser, while delivering his contract review seminar titled: “Digital disruption in the scaling of the Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management & Best Planting Practices toolkit.”

During the seminar, Godwin took his online audience through vivid explanations of how the digitization of the project’s Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management toolkit, created by the IITA Cassava Weed Management Project, was revolutionizing the art, science and practice of dissemination and agricultural extension services.

The Six Steps to Cassava Weed Management and Best Planting Practices toolkit, popularly called “Six Steps” is a complete package that addresses all aspects of good agricultural practices in cassava production, which is helping farmers to double their cassava yield to more than 20 tons per hectare from the current national average of 9 tons per hectare. The toolkit prescribes best bet practices in site selection, weed identification, herbicides application, tillage operations, weed management, plant spacing, post-emergent weed management and cassava agronomy principles. The Six Steps have been fully integrated into AKILIMO, a comprehensive digital advisory service for cassava.

According to Godwin, some of the digital tools created to scale out the “Six Steps” include: the IITA Herbicide calculator, an app which helps farmers and spray service providers to estimate correctly, the amount of herbicides to be added to knapsack sprayers to prevent herbicides overdose or under-dose; the Cassava e-market, an online market place on the Cassava Matters website for cassava and cassava-related commodities, and an interactive voice recording (IVR) service powered by Viamo where farmers simply dial 3-2-1 on Airtel network for cassava cultivation tips. Others are video clips of the recommendations which extension agents are currently using in rural areas with the aid of battery-powered mobile projectors given to them by the project and radio programs about cassava farming currently being aired in English, Yoruba and Tiv languages on some of the most popular radio stations in Benue and Oyo States.

The  Digital Extension and Advisory Services Specialist stressed that now that economies and food systems were being threatened by COVID-19 challenges, “these digital tools for scaling the Six Steps can help us navigate through the challenges of COVID-19 since restrictions to free movement and human to human contact can be by-passed with the use of digital technology.”

On his future plans, the dissemination guru said he looked forward to scaling the Six Steps toolkit and the digital tools already developed by IITA and working on the integration of digital platforms being developed by other projects in the institute.

“These will be done in the framework of the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI),” he said.

The CWMP was led by foremost researcher and IITA Director for Development and Delivery, Dr. Alfred Dixon with renowned weed scientist, Prof Friday Ekeleme, as Principal Investigator. Godwin led the communication, knowledge exchange and digital extension component of the project.

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FG Targets 15m Households for Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme

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The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to reach 15 million households, representing 75 million people, through its conditional cash transfer scheme.

Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Yilwatda explained that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to mitigating the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.

“The president was so specific,” Yilwatda noted.

“There are policies that he brought in to see if that can ease those challenges for people at the lower end of the pyramid. One of those policies is to reach out to 15 million beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer, targeting households rather than individuals. Each household will receive ₦25,000 monthly, paid three times a year.”

Yilwatda further clarified that the 15 million households being targeted translate to 75 million Nigerians, assuming an average of five persons per household.

So far, the Federal Government has reached five million individuals but is facing challenges in fully sanitizing the social register, particularly with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy mandating digital identities for transparency and traceability of payments.

“Currently, only 1.4 million people on the social register have digital identities. Many of those we are targeting are outside the formal banking system,” the minister disclosed.

Yilwatda emphasized that women are specifically targeted as household leaders under the program to ensure the funds are used effectively for the benefit of children and other vulnerable members of society.

The conditional cash transfer programme, which is administered under the National Social Investment Programme, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu in January due to allegations of corruption. However, the scheme was reinstated in February, with plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households.

 

 

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Fuel Price Relief: PETROAN Promises Pump Price Drop This Week

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The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has assured Nigerians of a reduction in the pump price of petrol within the week, following adjustments to the ex-depot price by key players in the industry.

 

Last week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and the Dangote Refinery announced a reduction in the ex-depot price of petrol to ₦899 per litre in Lagos. Despite this, the pump price at many filling stations across the country has remained unchanged.

 

However, PETROAN President, Billy Gilly-Harry, during a Monday appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, expressed optimism that the price change would soon reflect in retail outlets.

 

“But I believe from today when members start loading from both NNPC and Dangote at this new price reduction, it will reflect in the market,” he said.

 

Gilly-Harry lauded some members of PETROAN, particularly in Abuja, for proactively reducing their pump prices to below ₦1,000 even before the official announcement. He emphasized that while members strive to serve Nigerians by providing affordable fuel, they must maintain marginal profitability to sustain operations.

 

“We don’t encourage our members to try to sell products at a loss because our focus is to serve Nigerians. And the only way we can serve Nigerians is when we have the resources to do so. The resources can only be there if we’re making marginal profit enough to pay for the cost of money and ensure continuity in business,” he noted.

 

Addressing concerns over the delay in implementing the price reduction, Gilly-Harry explained that some retailers are still selling old stock purchased at higher prices.

 

“This reduction, if you apply it immediately, don’t forget that some of them bought at ₦970, paid transportation costs and logistics that have taken it quite high,” he said. “By the time it gets to their retail outlets, it’s quite much more than that. And so they must also sell at a profit – minimal marginal profit as provisioned by the PIA. So, that’s the reason.”

 

The PETROAN boss commended both the NNPCL and Dangote Refinery for their efforts in reducing the ex-depot price, which he described as a significant step toward easing the burden on Nigerians.

 

Nigerians are now hopeful that the price adjustment will translate into tangible relief at filling stations in the coming days.

 

 

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FG Declares Festive Public Holidays

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The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, December 25, and Thursday, December 26, 2024, as public holidays to mark Christmas and Boxing Day, respectively. Additionally, Wednesday, January 1, 2025, has been declared a public holiday to celebrate the New Year.

This announcement was made by the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani. The minister extended warm greetings to all Nigerians, urging them to embrace the festive period as an opportunity to reflect on the values of love, peace, and unity that the season represents.

Tunji-Ojo emphasized the significance of the season in fostering harmony and strengthening family and community bonds.

“The Christmas season is a good moment for both spiritual reflection and national renewal. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, let us demonstrate kindness and extend goodwill to one another, irrespective of our differences,” he stated.

He further encouraged citizens to remain committed to peace, unity, and progress for the development of the nation, stressing the Federal Government’s dedication to ensuring security and prosperity across the country.

While wishing Nigerians a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year, the minister expressed confidence in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He assured citizens that the coming year would usher in a stronger and more prosperous economy that would set Nigeria on a global pedestal.

The minister concluded by calling on Nigerians to celebrate responsibly, maintaining peace and unity throughout the festive season.

 

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