The
Federal Government on Wednesday said that no fewer than 10 million cell
phones would be distributed to farmers to boost agricultural
production in the country.
Mrs
Ibukun Odusote, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of
Agriculture and Rural Development, said this at a sensitisation
programme for farmers at Igan-Ipabi in Ijebu-East Local Government Area
of Ogun.
She
said the distribution of the cell phones was one of the steps being
taken by the ministry to ensure food security in Nigeria.
Odusote
said that the Ministry of Information Technology and other relevant
stakeholders had been contacted to collaborate toward effective
distribution of the phones.
“As
part of the electronic-wallet which we are promoting, the handsets will
be the toll with which we will communicate to 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, so they are talking to the network providers.
“They will extend their networks into rural areas where normally they will say there is no economic viability .
“The
Federal Government will be putting some support into this, they will go
into the hinterlands and expand their network so that we can have
access,” Odusote explained.
She said appropriate measures had been taken to commence the distribution exercise before the end of the first quarter.
Odusote
also said that the beneficiaries would receive direct alert for the
collection of fertiliser as well as information on farming seasons,
prices of products and scarcity period.
She added that farmers would get 50 per cent subsidy on fertiliser as well as other necessary assistance from government.
Though
Odusote did not specify the exact amount to be expended on the
project, she stated that the phones would be bought directly from the
manufacturing company.
She
added that some of the manufacturing companies had also expressed
readiness to partner with the ministry and invest in the sector.
Odusote
also said farmers would be provided with solar-powered lamps for
charging the phones, adding that the initiative was to achieve a
complete value change in the sector.
She
said graduates searching for white collar jobs should tap into the
opportunity, noting that this would bring about overall development in
the sector.
The
Regional Director in the ministry, Mr Olalekan Quadri, said measures
were being put in place to ensure farmers engage in mechanised
farming. (NAN)
No comments:
Post a Comment