NASRDA pledges commitment to poverty eradication
The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) says it will support all efforts by the Federal Government and the private sector to eradicate hunger in the country.
The NASRDA Director-General, Dr Matthew Adepoju, said this in Abuja on Tuesday at a workshop on CropWatch, a satellite-based global crop monitoring platform that provides crop-related information.
The theme of the workshop is: “Empowering Agriculture Extension Workers for Food Security: The Role of CropWatch(Innovative, Cooperation Programme) in Enabling Monitoring and Stabilising Food Productivity in West Africa.”
Adepoju was represented at the event by Dr Alaga Abayomi, Director, Mission Control and Satellite Data Management.
The three-day regional workshop is being organised in collaboration with the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Other partners are: Alliance of International Science Organisations (ANSO) and the Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Science (AIR-CAS) in Abuja.
“NASRDA will continue to support all efforts and partnership to end hunger in Nigeria and the Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Our collaboration with AIRCAS on the CropWatch platform will expediate the development of satellite-based information required to achieve the zero hunger sooner than expected,” he said.
He said that the agency was committed to contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) two, that focused on zero hunger by 2030.
Adepoju said that the surge in hunger and food insecurity, caused by many factors, required urgent attention and coordinated efforts.
He urged West African countries to leverage the CropWatch system which provides innovative solution by leveraging satellite remote sensing, AI and big data to monitor crop growth.
It also helps in predicting yields and mitigating risks associated with climate variability.
“This training is not just about technology, it is about empowering our nations with the tools to make data-driven decisions that will improve livelihoods and ensure sustainable food systems,” he said.
Dr Zhang Shizhuan, Deputy Executive Director, ANSO, said the organisation aimed to foster the advancement and application of problem-solving science and technology through programmes such as CropWatch.
“Climate resilience, food security, health, and biodiversity conservation are among the top priorities of ANSO’s agenda.
“To address these challenges efficiently and cost-effectively, we need closer international collaborations in advanced science and technology, including space science and technology.
“Crop Watch ICP is a good example of using advanced remote-sensing satellite technology and AI for the benefit of all people,” Shizhuan said.
Dr Wu Bingfang, of AIRCAS, while giving the overview of CropWatch, said there were existing gaps in agro-ecosystem mapping in Africa that had influenced agricultural productivity.
Bingfang said that there was need to develop a land sustainability evaluation index system and network out models for addressing of agro-ecological constraints for each agriculture land use.
He called for more agricultural extension workers, especially young people to be part of AI and satellite-based data generators for agricultural production.
He said the organisation was collaborating with partners to train agricultural extension workers on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Satellite-based generated data to promote food security in West Africa.
Dr Rakiya Babamaaji, Deputy Director for Strategic Space Application, NASRDA, and National CropWatch Coordinator said the workshop would showcase the CropWatch regional ICP programme.
She said it would also explore avenues for better engagements, share insights on best practices in the use of space-based technologies for agricultural development, among other objectives.
“This workshop is a crucial step toward empowering our agricultural extension workforce and related stakeholders with the tools and knowledge they need to improve food productivity and ensure,’’ she said.
Dr Hugh Briggs, EU’s Programme Manager, Agriculture for Nigeria and West Africa, called for more extension workers to commensurate the number of farmers across the country.
Briggs also advocated the development of adaptable and affordable applications for farmers to access data in order to enhance their productivity.
Mr Kofi Asare, Ghana Space, Science and Technology Institute, said climate change was a major challenge to agriculture in most African countries.
Asare said that the digitisation of agricultural practices through the use of space science technology would enable the development of actionable insights, enhance agriculture and decision making processes.
