Agric challenges Edo to deploy ICT

BENIN CITY – As the world marked the World Open Data Day celebration, weekend, the Edo State government said it is focusing more on solving the challenges associated with the agricultural sector, using data and technology. The Managing Director, ICT Agency, Edo State, Yemi Keri disclosed this during the commemoration of the World Open Data Day organized by the Edo State Open Data Unit, in collaboration with the State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the SabiHub. Keri stated that the state government launched its Open Data portal on September, 2013 with the purpose of promoting the open government initiative of the state. She said the data was opened to the public for assessment and republish without restriction from copyright, patents/other mechanisms of control.


The ICT Agency M.D. described the state as the first sub-national government to implement such policy in Africa. She said that since introduced, the ICT agency in Edo State has recorded outstanding achievements, as it was geared towards improving transparency, catalyzing innovations, enabling socio-economic development as well as ensuring a responsible/accountability to the people. In his remarks, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Abdul Oroh, stressed the importance of information/communication in agricultural development. Commissioner Oroh said that with the rising food prices which he said has left over 40 million people wallowing in poverty, there was need for more effective essential interventions towards advancing agriculture. He pointed out that updated information would provide more knowledge to farmers to enable them cope with such changes as weather patterns and soil conditions.


An ICT expert, Emeka Okoye who talked on Data Wrangling/Data Hack lauded the Edo State government for being the first sub-national government to implement the Open Data portal policy in Africa. Okoye who harped on the importance of using data wrangling to acquire/broaden knowledge in the form of extracting, processing and storing, advised the state government to ensure that it sustains the open data policy for the purpose of transparency and accountability in governance. The event featured other lectures on data/innovation, pitching/presentation of ideas as well as hacking procedures and rules/breaking into groups, with a view to promoting/developing entrepreneurial skills through information technology.


 - See more at: Agric challenges Edo to deploy ICT


Taken from: Taken from The Nigerian Observer

Nepalese start-ups make waves at home, abroad

Mobile phone applications designed by Nepalese start-ups are winning awards and are gaining international recognition in addition to gaining traction in domestic and foreign markets.

ICT for Agriculture, which won the NRs. 500,000 ($5,060) grand prize at the Ncell App Camp Competition in Kathmandu in December last year, is an SMS-based app that allows farmers to access information about market prices, weather conditions, planting techniques and animal diseases.

It previously won NRs. 100,000 ($1,000) for finishing first at the Reconnect Challenge in Kathmandu, a contest open to IT start-ups from Central and South Asia last November.

"Nepali farmers in rural areas lack proper market information. Due to this, they end up selling their products to middlemen at very low prices," Sibjan Chaulagain, one of the app's designers, told Khabar South Asia. "Through our app, they can know about the current prices for their products in major marketplaces and make their selling decisions accordingly.

"There are about 4 million farmer families in Nepal," he added. "We want to be the ultimate platform for agriculture-related information and discussions."

To read more: Nepalese start-ups make waves at home, abroad

Taken from Khabar South Asia

Agri-Hack Caribbean Talent Competition

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in collaboration with the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and ConnectiMass has organised a Caribbean-wide competition for the development of agri-sector ICT applications. For past information on the ICT4Ag 2013 Championship Teams http://hackathon.ict4ag.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/2013-Agrihack-Championship-teams-and-products.pdf 

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The Trinidad & Tobago leg of the Regional competition is being managed and co-ordinated by the Community HUB Corporation (the HUB). The HUB is an innovative social enterprise, with a global vision for change through the development of youth and communities, by leveraging ICTs.

The HUB has formed partnerships with Microsoft Trinidad and Tobago and CARDI in respect of providing relevant software, training candidates and promoting the Competition locally. 

For information on registration: http://mycommunityhub.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AgriHack-Talent-Caribbean-3.pdf or contact info@mycommunityhub.org

Timeline for the National event:

·         Local Selection Event – September 11^th, 2014, Trinidad

                                     Location: Microsoft Trinidad and Tobago

                                     Time: 5.30 pm to 8.00 pm

     

ICT Investment is key focus as Nigeria gears up as Country Partner for Gitex 2014

Nigeria is thickening her preparations for Gitex 2014 as Country Partner with final plans on its ICT Investment Conference which is designed to be a flagship of her presence at the biggest ICT event in the world focusing on Africa.

The ICT Investment Conference and Dinner with the theme: Invest in Nigeria – The gateway to Africa; is designed as part of the activities round the Nigerian Pavilion which is promoting start-ups as well as well-honed indigenous ICT companies.

The conference is expected to feature key public figures that include Mr. Peter O. Jack, Director General, National Information Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Hon. Minister of Communication Technology to be joined by counterparts, Mr. Olusegun Olutoyin Aganga, Hon. Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, and Hon. Minister of Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development. Others expected are Mrs. Saratu Umar, Executive Secretary/CEO, National Investment Promotion Council and Mr. Austin Okere, Group CEO, Computer Warehouse Group Plc.

The forum is a business and investment peering platform to also feature key decision makers from the MEASA including government functionaries and business leaders.

Forum already enjoys the support of Nigerian Foreign mission in the United Arab Emirates including His Excellency Ambassador Ibrahim Auwalu, Nigeria’s ambassador to the UAE and Ambassador (Dr) Mike G. Omotosho, Nigeria’s Consul General in the UAE. “We are looking to having a very successful outcome and an event that will further open Nigeria to global business,” said Ambassador Omotosho at the Nigerian Consulate in Dubai when members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for Nigeria at Gitex 2014 paid him a visit recently.

Gitex is the second largest ICT event in the world and recorded over 154, 000 visitors last year alone. About 25, 000 of this figure came from Africa. NITDA is using the Gitex event to promote Nigeria’s ICT potential and encourage its budding innovators to attract global attention and investors. Nigeria as an Official Country Partner for 2014 Expo is featuring in Gitex as Africa’s biggest economy.

“The ICT Sector has been a prime motivator of real growth and contributor to the country’s GDP. It has great attractions for investors and is a high-yield market,” said Minister of Communications Technology Dr. Mrs. Mobolaji Johnson in her testimonial on Nigeria’s participation at Gitex being aired to the event’s global audience.

“We are using Gitex to affirm the fact that Nigeria welcomes investors and seeks global partnership to explore her diverse opportunities. Nigeria is in Gitex to meet Investors seeking new, dynamic and rewarding markets,” said Mr. Peter O. Jack, Director General, National Information Development Agency (NITDA).

He said the Forum will highlight current policy thrust and action plans by government and how all these have helped to open extensive opportunities for high yield investment in the power/energy, ICT, and agriculture sectors among others.

Taken from Nigerian Tribune

Agri-Hack Talent Caribbean: Trinidad and Tobago National Selection Process

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in collaboration with institutions including the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and ConnectiMass will organise a Caribbean Initiative for ICT for Agriculture called Agrihack Talent Caribbean. Its main objective is support the development of ICT innovations and entrepreneurship in agriculture by young people.

The Agrihack Talent Caribbean initiative is different. It begins with national coding competitive selection events across the Region, staged in Trinidad and Tobago by The Community HUB Corporation

To read full article, click here!

Register Now!

Interested participants should submit their selected team leader and members’ names (between 2 to 6 persons per team) as well as their email addresses and contact number to info@mycommunityhub.org  by Wednesday 27th August, 2014.

Contact us at: info@mycommunityhub.org or www.facebook.com/mycommunityhub.org

‘Trini women obese’

Dr Isabella Granderson, lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension, UWI, has said that more than 50 per cent of Trinidad’s women are obese.

Speaking at the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF) Caricom Food Security Project “End of Project Knowledge Sharing Forum” yesterday at the Hyatt Regency, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain, Granderson said, “Fifty-five per cent of Trinidad’s female population is obese and our importation bill is steadily increasing.”

She pointed out however that Trinidadian males were a mere 15 per cent. Granderson further stated that these are the factors that spun the genesis of the project which the objective was to change the alarming issues of obesity and the high importation bill.

Granderson stated the project started after the observation of trends in Caricom agricultural trade in crops and livestock products during the period of 1990 to 2011. She pointed out that a study between 1990—2009 showed that the consumption of calories fats and oils is increasing. She added, “With regard to total calories we are over the recommendation by 17 per cent, staples 13 per cent, fruits and vegetables a deficit, sugars and sweeteners over, and an increase in fats and oils.”

Granderson then stated that, as a result of this we are now faced with the situation of obesity and the non-communicable diseases associated with obesity.

In her presentation Granderson noted that the project included workshops, focus groups, surveys, and experiments. Adding “The project life-span was three and a half years and was conducted in four Caricom states, Trinidad and Tobago, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and Guyana.”

Three main aspects highlighted in the project were the successes of the school feeding initiative, the introduction of mulatto grass as animal feed and the benefits yielded from drip irrigation for agriculture. Granderson explained that the drip irrigation is a beneficial technological process of water conservation that farmers were introduced to and trained to efficiently use. Within the project, small farmers were targeted.

In a brief interview after her presentation she reiterated that the school feeding programme was a large part of the project. To combat the issue of nutrition there was modification of some of the meals, such as lowering of fat and sodium content.

She said “Two ounces were initially provided. Now three ounces are provided with the inclusion of fruits and pure fruit juice.” She was also committed to continue working the school feeding programme. She recognised the challenges of purchasing fruits with regard to cost, as apples and grapes are cheaper than the local produce, the season of produce and lack of communication between farmers and caterers.

Apart from Granderson, there was a cadre of other presenters, representing University of the West Indies UWI. The second presenter, Nakisha Mark, spoke on agricultural technology and protecting agriculture, noting this can be done through plastic green houses, shade house, tunnel houses among others. Paulette Bynoe, an environmental scientist from Guyana, discussed environmental sustainability, dealing with environmental issues regarding the use of gricultural technology and the use of pesticides.

Hazel Patterson Andrews, another UWI representative, expanded on the research regarding National School Dietary Services in Trinidad and Tobago and emphasised on challenges in obesity and nutrition.

Arlene Saint-Ville and Kristen Lowitt both representatives of McGill University concluded the presentation by highlighting suggested policies from finding throughout the project one major policy being a food procurement policy.

Taken from Trinidad Express Newspapers

Nigeria: NCS Calls for Domestication of ICT Policy

Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has laid emphasis on the need to recognise knowledge as a resource that can be traded to achieve national development.

The NCS in a communiqué released at the end of its national conference in Enugu , stated that domestication and localisation of Nigeria ICT policy through the various tiers of government across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, have become very important.

The communiqué signed by its President, Prof. David Adewumi, Deputy President, Chairman, National Conference Communiqué Committee Prof. 'Sola Aderounmu, and chairman, Conferences Committee, Moses Braimah, states that after the paper presentations, technical sessions, contributions of the participants and exhaustive deliberations, the following decisions were reached:

That Information Communication Technology (ICT) is an enabler for growth and national development, capable of being the highest employer of labour in the country; That competitive advantage in business has always been driven by knowledge and that multiple stakeholders need to collaborate to build strong partnerships in the transformation of Nigeria from information society to knowledge-based economy.

The Communiqué also stated that a knowledge-based economy is predicated on the production and dissemination of ideas; that there is the urgent need to recognise knowledge as a resource that can be codified, registered and made tradeable; hence need for a well concerted investment in knowledge acquisition.

Also it noted that achieving this requires immediate domestication and localisation of Nigeria ICT policy vertically through the various tiers of government and laterally across MDAs of government.

The document states that state-level agencies should be created to implement, coordinate and monitor ICT activities geared towards indigenous knowledge production in the 36 states of the Federation and FCT.

That such state agencies should tap from the wealth of experience of Nigerian IT professionals and practitioners who are members of NCS.

The participants also empathised with the Federal Government over the various security challenges being faced in the country and noted that effective use of ICT in intelligence surveillance could assist in arresting some of the terrorists.

Furthermore, the conference commended the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for the giant strides being made through the deployment of ICT for agricultural monitoring and information dissemination.

Taken from All Africa, Nigeria: NCS Calls for Domestication of ICT Policy