Transforming Agri-Food Systems in West Africa with Digital Technologies

9 - 13 September 2024. Abuja, Nigeria Transforming Agri-Food Systems in West Africa with Digital Technologies

• The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), in collaboration with Agropolis Fondation (AF), Gearbox Pan African Network (GB), and Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC), whost the Annual Implementers’ Forum (AIF) 2024 for the Accelerating Inclusive Green Growth through Agri-based Digital Innovation in West Africa (AGriDI) project in Abuja, Nigeria.
  
• Funded by the European Commission through the R&I Programme implemented by the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), AGriDI is a 4-year initiative aimed at creating an enabling environment for agri-based digital innovations in West Africa. The project is designed to increase the uptake of digital technologies by farmers’ cooperatives and SMEs, strengthen collaboration between research communities, industry, and policy actors, and enhance policymaking to support the scaling of agribusiness digital innovations.

Since its inception, AGriDI has implemented a competitive grant scheme, awarding EUR 2.73 million across 9 projects in West Africa. These initiatives focus on co-developing and adapting digital solutions, establishing market linkages, and supporting policy development for digital innovation. 

1. The AGriCef mobile app in Benin, controls the Fall armyworm in maize
   In Northern Benin, the Université de Parakou developed the AGriCef mobile app to combat the Fall armyworm (FAW) in maize, while the Ki@ app provides market updates directly to local farmers via SMS and voice messages.
2. the SMARTSOIL app in Nigeria, provides hyper-local soil information to farmers using artificial intelligence.
   In South-Western Nigeria, the SMARTSOIL app by the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) leverages digital soil mapping and AI to deliver accessible and affordable soil information to farmers.
3. In Ghana, the Driving Market Access and Managing AG Value chains (DigiMakt) app profiles over 12,500 smallholder farmers, providing climate-smart agronomic advice, market information, weather alerts, insurance, and credit scoring. This innovation, led by Esoko Ltd., the Agri-Tech company of the year at the 2023 Ghana Agriculture and Agri-Business Awards, is enhancing financial inclusion in the Bono East and Oti regions. Another significant contribution is the recently launched MarketMap app by SOSAI, offering reliable market information for farmers, processors, and service providers in the agricultural sector.

The Annual Implementers’ Forum (AIF) 2024 provides a platform for AGriDI’s partners and beneficiaries to share lessons learned over the past two and a half years. Participants will engage in discussions on the digital innovation ecosystem in agriculture, the successes and challenges faced, and the sustainability of current innovations.