The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has embarked on National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NASVA) training programme for 50 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members. The training was done in collaboration with the agency’s subsidiary, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) and the Abuja Technology Village (ATV), as part of the agency’s activities to ensure that all sectors of the country are digitally-driven. Mr. Kashifu Inuwa, the Director-General of NITDA, urged the participants to seize the opportunity to acquire knowledge in agricultural entrepreneurship.
Represented by Mr. Salisu Kaka, Acting Director, Digital Economy Development Department of NITDA, Inuwa said the skills to be learnt would enable the participants create jobs. According to him, participants would also be able to contribute their quota to ensuring increased productivity, profitability, food security and agriculture efficiency. The NITDA boss urged them to be committed to the programme, adding that it would last for six months and was expected to be transformational to help them become self-sufficient and job providers, saying “Creativity and innovative thinking must be applied to developing better ways of solving economic issues in the country, especially in the agricultural sector”. The National Coordinator of NCAIR, Mr. Garba Ya’u charged the corps members that their intentions to become smart farmers should translate to tangible innovative ideas in order to move the sector forward.