The Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy has shortlisted 10 startups for its Fourth Industrial Revolution Technology Application (4IRTA) in Agriculture Program.
The minister in charge of the project, Dr. Bosun Tijani made the announcement in a statement released on his twitter page on Saturday.
In the statement, he said the project is in support of the president’s mandate to cultivate 500,000 hectares of land across Nigeria to boost food security.
“In support of President @officialABAT’s mandate to cultivate 500,000 hectares of land across Nigeria to boost food security, I am pleased to announce the 10 shortlisted grantees for our Fourth Industrial Revolution Technology Application (4IRTA) in Agriculture,“ he said.
According to the statement, the application process commenced in November 2023, lasted only two weeks and gathered 2,329 applications.
It took top 4IR Technology researchers and practitioners of Nigerian descent across the globe , 2 rounds of reviews to pick 10 startups .
The Ministry said the 10 selected startups will receive up to N10 million in funding to deepen the application of 4IR technologies in their work.
Dr. Bosun Tijani also mentioned that the ministry of Agriculture will support the project in partnership.
“Congratulations to the 10 selected projects as we look forward to working with them in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture @NGfmafs to support their path to scale and sustainability.”
4IRTA
4IRTA is a platform for running demonstration projects that use 4IR technologies (UAVs, IoT, AI and Blockchain) in different sectors of the economy.
These projects will be designed as pilot to illustrate how these technologies can be successfully implemented in Nigeria.
The Agriculture Demonstration Project identifies, demonstrates and mainstream market-ready innovations.
It is strictly for Inventions that leverage 4IR technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability in the Nigerian agricultural sector.
The selected projects
The 10 selected projects focus on the application of UAV, IoT, AI and Blockchain in different agricultural sub sectors.
The startup projects are:
- Agri-Wing Project: An Integrated Aerial Precision (|APrecision) that proposes a solution for smallholder maize farming. It utilize drone technology throughout the maize farming cycle to collect real-time data and provide tailored recommendations.
- Ranch.ID LivestockPro: This is a farm management tool that utilizes loT technology and the National Animal Identification and Traceability system. It provides real-time data on livestock activities, location, health, and vaccinations.
- Precision Farm Management: This employs precision farming technology, specifically drones and sensors, to implement organic farming techniques. It monitors soil and crop data, including soil health, elevation, water level, nutrient level, pH, and crop health.
- Automated loT-Based Irrigation System: The Automated loT-Based Irrigation System utilizes sensors to monitor soil moisture and weather conditions. The system automatically adjusts irrigation based on real-time data.
- Geospatial Intelligence model for enhanced prediction of crop yield and crop stress assessment:. The solution deploys loT isotopic table and UAV radiometer radar L-band to monitor water tables and assess soil health.
- AgriTrust Solutions by Ledger Labs Ltd: This solution utilizes the blockchain to ensure transparency and make deliveries more efficient. It also intends to solve for fake products in the market.
- Alfor Livestock diseases and health reporting:: offers livestock farmers a geospatial-enabled mobile app for reporting instant livestock anomalies. It uses AI to predict vulnerable Zones and disease spread.
- loT Climate-Smart Device: Penkeep Climate-smart loT device that manages environmental factors such a in poultry and fish farms.
- Smart Pond (SP): The SP solution utilizes : – pressure sensors for accurate fish growth rate assessments.
– motion sensors for anti-theft alerts, and. – automated feeders to ensure precise feeding and cost reduction.
- Future Fish Farms: The Smart Fish Farm employs sensors for real-time fish health and water monitoring.