Fed Govt targets 5m new jobs through smart agric

• Published date: 16 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

The Federal Government has announced plans to create five million new jobs from smart agriculture through its National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA).

The plan proposes a mass agriculture programme to bring 20,000 to 100,000 hectares of new farmland under cultivation in every state of the federation, the government said at the weekend.

The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Malam Kashifu Inuwa, said the programme would add impetus to the economic recovery and diversification efforts of the government and increase revenue generation.

Inuwa noted that from the kick-off of the programme, it was evident that more grounds would be covered to boost the nation's agriculture value chain from 'farm to table' and ensure that five million direct and indirect jobs are created in the sector.

The NITDA boss spoke during the distribution of smart agriculture materials to beneficiaries of NAVSA's five-day empowerment programme which took place at Al-Qalam University in Katsina, Katsina State.

He said NAVSA programme was designed to accelerate massive job creation, economic diversification and growth, as well as facilitate the integration of digital technologies and innovations in the agriculture processes and practices.

Inuwa said all this would significantly increase productivity, improve food security, ensure an eco-friendly agricultural practice, attract potential talents and youths into agriculture professions to maximise outcomes.

The NITDA boss said the government had improved green energy-powered smart brooding to enhance the survival rate of broilers, a smart...