The Ogun State Government has called on farmers across the State to take advantage of the Ogun State Farmers Information Management System (OGFIMS), a digital platform designed to improve their agricultural productivity and overall livelihood.
Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Bolu Owotomo, made this call during a training programme on operationalisation of OGFIMS organised by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, held at the Ministry of Agriculture, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The Commissioner highlighted the significance of the platform that OGFIMS aligns with Governor Dapo Abiodun’s vision to empower farmers by providing access to vital agricultural information, reducing post-harvest losses, and connecting them with extension workers and potential markets, noting that the e-platform would enable farmers to showcase and market their produce online, thereby boosting their income.
He emphasised the need to cascade the training from grassroots farmers, to ensure widespread adoption of the platform, reaffirming the State’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance the agricultural sector and improve the livelihoods of farmers across the State.
Contributing, the OGSTEP Project Coordinator, Mrs. Mosun Owo-Odusi, expressed gratitude to the State Government and IITA for organising the training, noting that the training was essential to equip government officials with the necessary skills to sustain the platform’s usage beyond the lifespan of the OGSTEP project.
Speaking on behalf of the organisers, the Head of the Germplasm Health Unit and Virology at IITA and Team Lead IITA consultancy service for OGFIMS project, Dr. Lava Kumar, explained that the training was designed to equip key officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP) Agric team, and the Ogun State Agricultural Development Programme (OGADEP) with the necessary skills to use digital tools, such as e-marketing, e-extension and weather advisory services on the OGFIMS platform, adding that the trained officers would in turn, pass the knowledge to other officers, ensuring effective utilisation of the platform.
The Project Manager, OGSTEP Agric, Dr. (Mrs.) Oluseyi Olugbire, expressed excitement about the training’s engaging nature, stating that feedback from the training would be used to improve the platform and that working groups would be set up to oversee key areas such as e-extension, e-marketing, communication, and administration.
OGFIMS offers several benefits including: a mobile app with real-time feedback functionality, self-registration for farmers and other value chain actors, access to critical agricultural information, an e-marketplace to facilitate direct patronage for farmers and other value chain actors.
Participants at the training included, Hon. Abiola Oladayo, Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and the OGSTEP ICT Officer, Miss. Bukola Lawal, commended the initiative and pledged to step down the training for wider reach.
