Dr Rose Ggido, Country Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), says Nigeria must adopt modern technologies in agriculture to overcome the food security challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
GIDO, also deputy director of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), said this in an interview with the Nigerian News Agency (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said Nigeria must also adopt smart agricultural practices such as the application of Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, information and communication technologies (ICT), satellite imagery and artificial technology to upgrade its vast potential in agriculture.
According to her, this would help facilitate food redistribution by simplifying communication between suppliers and consumers.
The scientist said that considering the need to curb the spread of COVID-19, the government should introduce automated machines for sowing seeds.
He said the country should also make use of Value Stream Mapping, in order to ensure proper management of the supply chain from farm to fork.
GIDO said that farmers should adopt the use of genetically modified (GM) seeds to reduce the need for routine agricultural practices while ensuring higher yields, and also calls for the use of nano-nutrients to boost crop production.
The expert further said that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and agricultural drones should be deployed, which in practice have been shown to reduce human contact in agriculture.
Ggido was optimistic that both technologies were necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19 and could also be a good way to address the threat of food insecurity.
He said that in the near future, biotechnology will revolutionize the way people think.
“Advances in technology have dramatically skyrocketed the speed at which plant transformation can be achieved to meet our specific needs in each phase of life,” he said.
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