FARMERS: Ogun State Govt. Collabo With IITA, World Bank To Inaugurate Information System
Also, the Ogun Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Mr Olaolu Olabintan, said the project was key to the economic transformation of the state.
“For so long we have been doing agriculture at a level where we remain poor. And so whatever that we can do to unleash that potential is what we are interested in because we cannot continue to do the same thing the same way and then expect a different result,” Olubitan said.
He enjoined handlers of the project to maximise the project to achieve the desired objectives and goals and also to update the system as the need arises.
In his address, the World Bank representative, Dr Abel Lufafa said “today’s farming has evolved as the modules of production have changed making it knowledge-intensive, especially as rain patterns have changed too.”
Lufafa said managing information as to rainfall patterns, available products and markets was now important to the future of agriculture and also for the government in terms of making policies and implementation.
“The value I see in this information management system is that it bridges the information gaps between what farmers need and what the extension system or the private sector is providing.
“I think this is the right thing to do and it is timely because it coincided with the agenda of the governor in agriculture and the transformation of the state,” Lufafa said.
He stressed the quality of data, in making sure that the information that goes into the system is valid, up-to-date and useful to the farmers.
Others who spoke at the event were Senior Special Assistant to Ogun Governor on Agriculture, Dr Angel Adelaja-Kuye; Dr Oluseyi Olugbire, Project Manager, Ogun State, Economic Transformation Program (OGSTEP); and Dr Mosum Owo-Odunsi, Project Coordinator commended IITA, World Bank and other partners for the project.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that OGFIMS featured a digital interface with a dynamic dashboard, farmers database, interactive map, e-learning and e-shop among others.
(NAN)