A Professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Professor Lucia Omobolanle Ogunsumi has tasked farmers to adopt and embrace the use of technology which offers the path to agricultural revolution.
The University Don made this known while delivering the 380th Inaugural lecture of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) titled “Farmers’ Peculiar Treasure: The Sustained Use of Technological Approach” held recently at Oduduwa Hall, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria.
Speaking on technology as the rescue for agricultural challenges, she said “precision agriculture, digital platforms and climate-smart farming practices offer a path to revolutionize Nigerian agriculture. By adopting these technologies, farmers can improve yields, reduce waste, and enhance resilience to climate change.”
While noting that the country is endowed with substantial natural resources that include millions of hectares of land and fresh water, she projected that Nigeria has a potential to become one of the leading agricultural economies in Africa.
She also lamented that while agriculture plays a leading role in the non-oil sector of the Nigerian economy since 1970, “agricultural production has stagnated. Food prices have risen astronomically. A rise in food importation has followed in response to sharp declines in domestic production.”
Noting that a good potential exists to improve agricultural output very considerably, Prof Ogunsumi called on the government’s intervention through series of measures.
According to her, “sustained use of technological approach serves as a platform to underscore the crucial value of technology in agriculture, elevate the agency of farmers in leveraging technological innovations, and advocate for sustainable, contextually relevant technology adoption within the agricultural sector.”
The Agricultural Extension and Rural Development Professor highlighted that sustained technological adoption offers to farmers, increased productivity, resource efficiency, risk mitigation, and improved economic prospects, empirically backing that, sustained users of technology had higher yield over time, better information accessibility, improved savings and investment, high socio-economic status and better nutrition and health.
She concluded that the sustained use of technological approach in farming holds incredible promise for transforming agriculture and securing food production for future generations, furthering that, “the integration of advanced tools, such as precision agriculture, automation, biotechnology, and remote sensing can revolutionize farming, leading to increased yields, reduced resource inputs, and enhanced sustainability.”
