AgriConnect, a bold digital agriculture initiative, is changing the narrative for hundreds of smallholder farmers who for decades have been left out of the digital age.

This isn’t just about farming. It’s about bridging the digital divide, empowering communities, and future-proofing Nigeria’s agricultural backbone.

Planting the Seeds of Digital Inclusion

Launched through a powerful coalition led by the MTN Foundation, in partnership with the Ogun State Government, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) under the Federal Government, and global tech giant Huawei, AgriConnect aims to reach 1,000 smallholder farmers across the state.

The goal is simple, yet powerful: equip grassroots farmers with mobile-enabled agricultural intelligence, from real-time weather updates and market price alerts to AI-powered guidance on best practices, all accessible through affordable smartphones and data plans.

“This initiative is not just giving out phones,” said a program spokesperson. “It’s about connecting farmers to opportunity, markets, and a wider world of knowledge.”

Farming With a New Lens: Stories from the Field

When Mr. Olude Joshua, a farmer in Oja-Odan, Yewa North LGA, received an invitation to join the program, he didn’t expect it to come with a smartphone, SIM card, free data, and specialized agricultural apps.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he shared. “I can now make better farming decisions, track the weather, and even find out how much my crops sell for before heading to the market. It’s a new world.”

For Mrs. Alimi Kehinde in Odogbolu LGA, AgriConnect is a game-changer. Together with her husband, she manages over 10 hectares of cassava and banana farmland, supplying Lagos markets regularly. Now, with digital tools at her fingertips, she envisions a more structured, informed, and profitable farming future.

“This will help us do more than farm,” she said. “It helps us understand what we’re doing, grow better crops, and reach the right buyers.”

More Than Technology: A Vision for Sustainable Farming

What sets AgriConnect apart from other digital programs is its deep-rooted focus on sustainability and community transformation. It’s not just tech for tech’s sake, it’s a holistic platform designed to build resilience, self-reliance, and agricultural competitiveness in rural Nigeria.

By placing tech tools in the hands of those who literally feed the nation, AgriConnect is:

• Reducing the digital divide in rural areas
• Empowering women and youth in agriculture
• Promoting climate-smart practices
• Boosting market visibility for smallholder farmers

A Model for Replication Across Africa

At its core, AgriConnect is a proof of concept for what’s possible when government, private sector, and development partners work together. Its model of public-private collaboration has created a blueprint that can be replicated across Nigeria and other African nations.

“This initiative is about inclusive development,” said a senior program lead. “We’re not just modernizing agriculture, we’re building digital citizens in farming communities.”

The Verdict from the Fields

As the farmers begin their digital journey, one message echoes across Ogun State: AgriConnect is more than a program, it’s a lifeline. A lifeline to knowledge, to growth, to community resilience, and to a future where no farmer is left behind in Nigeria’s tech-driven evolution.

The competition took place at Technovation’s World Summit, where the 15 finalist teams from 12 countries pitched their mobile app ideas to a judging panel composed of industry experts and advocates. The team pitched their mobile app, AgriConnect—a mobile application connecting farmers, nearby landowners, and seedling sellers.

It also provides modern sustainable agricultural techniques for both farmers and aspiring farmers. It hopes to tackle the problem of food insecurity in the country.

The talented team members—

• Oghenemaro Tejiri (12),
• Salome Akhabhau (11),
• Excel Barile-Nwika (11), and
• Goodness Nwonanne-Chima (12) —were mentored by Somkenechukwu Mamah, founder of Code Ambassadors, an organisation dedicated to training young minds between the ages of 5-17 in technology, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship skills.

They girls have been working since January 2024 to identify a problem in their Niger Delta communities and develop a mobile app-based solution to that problem.

The team of the girls known as Smart Elite presented their solution through the initial and semi-final rounds of virtual judging and in person at World Summit where they were selected as  Social Impact Award and Combating Hunger Special Award winners.

They represented both Nigeria and Africa in the beginners division.

Tejiri, Barile-Nwika, Nwonanne and Akhabhau pitched along with other teams from around the world and spent two days getting to know the other teams and networking with industry professionals in Silicon Valley, California. As finalists, the team also received a scholarship to advance their education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.

“The girls who participate in Technovation are extraordinary,” said Tara Chklovski, founder and CEO of Technovation. “These are girls and young women who see problems in their communities and decide to stand up and make a difference. They have the drive and the ideas, Technovation just helps them access the tools. We’re so proud to be part of these girls’ journeys, and know this is just the start for these impressive young women.”

They will be representing Nigeria and Africa in the World Summit finals which will take place in Silicon Valley, California, USA.

This global competition empowers young girls between the ages 8-18 to leverage technology to address pressing issues in their communities.

The talented team members:

• Oghenemaro Tejiri (12),
• Salome Akhabhau (11),
• Excel Barile-Nwika (11), and
• Goodness Nwonanne-Chima (12)— were coached by their mentor, Mr. Somkenechukwu Mamah, founder of Code Ambassadors, an organisation dedicated to training young mindsbetween the ages of 5-17 in technology, problem-solving, and entrepreneurship skills.

This year, nearly 11,000 girls from 69 countries participated, developing 3,200 tech-based solutions to community problems.

The team, Smart Elites, stood out with their innovative mobile application, AgriConnect, designed to combat food insecurity in Nigeria by connecting farmers with free land spaces. They competed with teams from Spain, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, Kazakhstan, Japan, the United States and 62 other countries.

More about AgriConnect:

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture released a shocking report, saying that 31.5 million Nigerians will suffer from a food crisis and acute hunger between June and August this year, 2024!

This is because the main food-producing region, the North, is unable to produce enough food.

The solution to this problem is for every region to produce its food and from our survey 86% of the respondents expressed interest in farming but lacked the means or resources to start.

To achieve that, the team developed AgriConnect—a mobile application connecting farmers, nearby landowners, and seedling sellers.

See their Pitch Video here while the Demo Video is here.