An online agric radio and e-commerce platform has been established to help drive the agric sector to improve the Nigerian economy. The initiative is set up to make farming easier for farmers.
An agricultural promoter, AfricanFarmer Mogaji group head, who is also the chairman of agribusiness and agro-allied sector, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) stated that the online radio aims at encouraging the agric sector through knowledge from various careers and professions required from the private sectors to develop Nigeria’s economy.
This will provide smallholder farmers and investors with timely information to enhance their operations across the value chains. The information will include programs on nutrition, agriculture, and climate services for investors, farmers, and other stakeholders throughout the value chains so they can learn from the information they receive and apply it to enhance their productivity and making investment decisions.
Similarly, the e-commerce platform will be a channel for marketing agricultural commodities and assist users with expert services required to enhance their agribusinesses.
The AfricanFarmer Mogaji who is also the CEO of X-Ray Consulting Limited says that “The online radio will provide daily relevant information across various value chains in the agricultural sector. Many agribusinesses have failed three years after establishment because of adequate information.”
He stated further that, “The e-commerce platform will provide a platform for aggregation, buying and selling and also provides a professional platform for agripreneurs to access professional services of lawyers, accounting and engineers among others.”
According to the CEO, both the radio station and e-commerce platform will boost the positive activities in agriculture making it attractive to youths, providing a market for sales, identification of investment opportunities, and provision of professional services to major stakeholders in the industry.
He says that despite government effort funding agriculture, the private sector funding is not meeting up to the needed resources in driving growth of the sector.
AfricanFarmer stated that Nigeria needs to shift its funding focus further from the production level towards other aspects of the value chain.
A rally match was held for the launch of the radio station and the e-commerce platform during which AfricanFarmer noted marina was chosen as the venue for the rally because in the early 60’s the headquarters of majority of the banks who always financed agriculture were situated in marina, however, that has now changed.
“Now, with the rally in marina we are trying to get the attention of the financial sector back to the agricultural space again. We want the financial sector to start looking at funding the sector again and bring their skills on board,” he said.
The group lead added that the bankers’ committee forum has a lot of funds allocated to agriculture but the money is still domicile in most banks because farmers cannot access them.
The online radio station can be followed on AgricFM.com and the e-commerce platform on AfricanFarmer.ng, he says.
Programs on the online radio station will include topics on, fishing, livestock, crop production, and forestry. The focus will also be on government initiatives and programs.
