Niger Foods Hosts College of Agriculture Students on Educational Field Trip
Niger Foods Security System and Logistics Company Limited welcomed students from the Niger State College of Agriculture in Mokwa for an educational field trip to its office, input warehouse, breeding center, and feedlot in Tagwai. This visit aimed to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical agricultural experience.
The company adopted a multidisciplinary approach for the field trip, taking the college students through its policies, strategic programs, and projects. They discussed topics such as mechanization and the introduction of digital tools and technologies, including geo-localized services and precision agriculture.
The team also highlighted their Indigenous innovations, such as apps that assist smallholder farmers, and elaborated on their seven-layer approach to modernizing livestock production in Niger State. The initiative aims to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 2: Zero Hunger, by promoting environmental sustainability, enhancing productivity, improving resource efficiency, and ensuring food quality and safety while closing the gender gap in agriculture.
Various presentations were delivered by Niger Foods staff. Haniffah Kulishi, an NYSC staff member, guided the students through the company’s seven policies and sixteen agricultural programs focused on enhancing crop production, livestock development, value addition, and youth empowerment.
She emphasized that these initiatives are designed to strengthen agricultural sustainability and encourage innovation within the sector.
Muhammad Babakeke, the Lead Data Analyst at Niger Foods, introduced the Niger Foods Agric Suite solution, describing it as a transformative platform that leverages technology and innovation to boost agricultural productivity and inclusion. The Agric Suite is integrated with a virtual agronomy solution (ISDA – an organization based in Uganda). The Virtual Agronomist service from ISDA offers AI-powered advisory services that provide farmers with tailored, data-driven agronomic advice.
The Niger Foods Agric Suite utilizes AI insights to enhance farming in Niger State, empowering farmers with data and technology. So far, thousands of youths have been trained in field data collection through the company’s deployed API.
Babakeke also highlighted that the partnerships with the Dangote Group are aimed at engaging youths and women in productive agriculture, creating employment opportunities, and significantly contributing to food security and rural development across the state.
Chinwendu Ukaha, a Geospatial Data Analyst, spoke about the vital role of precision agriculture, emphasizing the application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS). She explained that this technology enables farmers to make data-driven decisions, enhancing efficiency, sustainability, and effective resource management through AI and remote sensing. Applications like remote soil analysis, nutrient recommendations, and field monitoring can now be evaluated remotely.
During the visit, Dr. Tumsiyya Maimuna Mann-Isah, the Coordinator of Livestock at Niger Foods, highlighted the critical role of livestock production within the company’s agricultural agenda. She explained that the seven-layer approach to livestock management is strategically designed to enhance food security and promote inclusive farming practices.
Dr. Mann-Isah further noted that the initiative focuses on improving breeding, feed quality, and overall productivity, while empowering farmers with modern animal husbandry skills and introducing a traceability system (LIIMS – Livestock Identification, Inspection, and Management) that includes an integrated RFID and electronic weighing system.
In response to the visit, Mr. Adam Saidu Paiko from the Department of Pest Management Technology expressed gratitude on behalf of the students for the warm reception and insightful engagement. He noted that the tour expanded the students’ understanding of modern agricultural operations and inspired them to explore diverse career opportunities in the industry.
The field trip also included visits to the Niger Foods MDS input warehouse, guided by Mr. Mahmud Abdullahi Gimba, and to the Niger Foods breeding and feedlot center in Tagwai. There, students observed cattle breeding and feedlot operations coordinated by Dr. Mann-Isah, as well as practical demonstrations of agricultural machinery by Niger Foods’ female tractor operator, Magdaline Luka Adamu.
