NITDA pledges to extend NAVSA program to all 36 states

The Director General of the National Information technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi has disclosed that the Agency will be extending the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture program, (NAVSA) to every state in the country.

The program which was piloted by NITDA in Jigawa state, is an initiative that seeks to create digital databases for farmers where they can buy and sell their farm produce.

Abdullahi disclosed this in Abuja while hosting the Management of Jigawa Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (JICCIMA) at the Agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

DG NITDA stated that NAVSA’s successful implementation and results in Jigawa state has encouraged the Agency to ensure that the programme covers all the 36 states of the federation.

He explained that the project’s goal is to build digital capabilities and innovations across agriculture value chain aimed at creating massive jobs and improve the income and wealth of every ecosystem players.

He pointed out that in January of this year, during the commissioning of the ICT centre at Hadeija, Jigawa State, the state governor, Alhaji Muhammed Badaru indicated his willingness to partner with NITDA to make the state ICT compliant in its operations.

“Training is one of the Agency’s mandate. With the outbreak of COVID-19, our trainings have been going on virtually which is in line with the Presidential Task Force guidelines to maintain social distancing, such special trainings can be done virtually to impact the citizens of the state.

“The e-learning center will enable the state create jobs and aid in lifting 100 million people out of poverty which is in line with the Present Administration mandate to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, providing direct or indirect jobs for the growth and development of the country,” he said.

The president of JICCIMA, Hon. Muhammed Mukhtar solicited the support of the Agency in construction and provision of equipment for e-Library, support survey and data collection for building of database, and training of 500 JICCIMA members in online businesses and e-marketing.

Mukhtar said, “We believe by doing so, JICCIMA will improve the capacity of its members in doing business and also boost the economic activities of the state generally thereby creating jobs and revenue flow for the state.”