The Nigerian Women for Agriculture Progressive and Development Initiative (NWAPDI) has introduced the FarmAssure blockchain initiative, a groundbreaking solution aimed at bridging the connectivity gap for rural farmers, particularly women. The initiative seeks to provide reliable internet access to farming communities, ensuring seamless integration into the global agricultural economy.
Speaking at NWAPDI’s Annual General Meeting, Conference, and Gala Night, the organization’s President, Omolara Svenson, stressed the importance of continuous innovation in agriculture. She highlighted the FarmAssure team’s direct engagement with farmers and stakeholders at the event, reinforcing the initiative’s goal of digital inclusion for grassroots agricultural development.
“We can’t remain where we are and expect change to happen. The goal is to ensure evolution by working on sufficient internet access at the grassroots level,” Svenson stated. She explained that FarmAssure would enable farming communities to generate their own internet access, allowing them to stay informed about global agricultural advancements.
Representing the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Ibrahim Tanimu, Director of Programme and Policy Coordination, underscored the government’s commitment to technology-driven solutions in agriculture. He emphasized the importance of initiatives like FarmAssure in stimulating the development of women and youth in agribusiness. “A way of stimulating the development of women in the nation is to identify, nurture, and support initiatives, agro- and agro-allied enterprises to make women and youth grow and prosper,” he stated.
Tanimu also reaffirmed the government’s broader strategy for empowering women and youth through programs focused on employment, agribusiness development, and livelihood improvements. His remarks underscored the administration’s recognition of agriculture as a critical sector for economic transformation and poverty alleviation.
In addition to connectivity, agricultural risk management remains a key focus. The Managing Director/CEO of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), Folashade Joseph, outlined the agency’s role in de-risking farming investments. She stressed the importance of insurance in ensuring farmers’ resilience against unforeseen disasters.
“We ensure that our farmers are covered, so when there is a disaster, we pay their claims on time, allowing them to return to farming,” Joseph said. She disclosed that NAIC has provided insurance support to approximately 500,000 farmers over the past five years.
She further emphasized the need for farmers to be insured, stating, “We cannot just spend government money without accountability. If you are not insured, we must verify that you are genuinely a farmer.”
Svenson reaffirmed NWAPDI’s commitment to collaborating with the government and other key stakeholders in the agricultural sector. “As you can see today, the entire ministry and its agencies were well represented here—from the Minister of State to NAIC, NEPC, and BOA. So yes, we are working hand in hand with the government,” she noted.
The FarmAssure blockchain initiative is expected to transform access to agricultural information, market intelligence, and financial services for rural farmers. By leveraging technology to close the digital divide, NWAPDI aims to empower small-scale farmers, enhance productivity, and drive economic growth in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
