From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science (NISS) has upgraded its Agro Mobile Application to enable them to collect and analyse data, proffer solutions and give advice to Farmers and Extension Agents on good soil and agricultural management targeted at achieving food security in the country.
Prof Victor Chude, the Registrar of NISS disclosed this in Nsukka on Thursday during a one-day training workshop on the use of the NISS Agro Mobile Application Update for Farmers, Extension Agents, Agro Dealers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector from Southeast.
He said that the institution was determined in its mandate of regulating the profession of soil science in Nigeria as well as providing a scientific basis for enhancing and sustaining the productivity of soil resources with minimal environmental degradation.
“As part of our mandate in providing a scientific basis for enhancing and sustaining productivity of soil resources geared towards achieving food security in the country with minimal environmental degradation NISS has now updated its NISSAGRO Mobile Application to NISSAGROAPP UPDATE (version 2.0) and equipped it with new features.
“The update of the App became necessary due to the needs and feedback from users after it was first launched in 2021 to upgrade it and add more features to enhance better and quality service delivery to the target audience.
“NISS’s primary purpose of the App is to promote Registered Soil Scientists’ service and engage farmers, extension workers, researchers, Agro-dealers, and other stakeholders on good agricultural practices, fertilizer recommendations, and technology needed for improving soil and food production in each locality in Nigeria,” he said.
The registrar who was represented by Mr Ojimire Osasa, Agric Officer, NISS Abuja urged the participants to take the training workshop seriously and share all they learned with their members who could not make it to the workshop.
In a remark, Prof Charles Asadu, the South East NISS Zonal Coordinator said that the updated NISS Agro Mobile Application has more information and users friendly features.
“Due to some issues and suggestions raised in improving the first version during the July 7th, 2022 first training on the mobile application, the institute has incorporated your inputs during the last training and produced the second version which we will be trained on today.
“This updated version has more features, it is user friendly and it contains the latest information that any person who is interested in the data needed to improve our soils for increased and sustainable agricultural production will benefit from the mobile app,” he said.
Asadu said further that the updated app was also designed to display agricultural inputs and services already verified and certified by NISS for adoption and use by farmers.
Mr Augustine Agbakoba, the resource person from NISS Headquarters Abuja, said that the application and its updated version were created to help farmers have adequate knowledge of soil and its functions by providing knowledge, service, and tools that will enhance soil productivity.
“The updated NISS Agro Mobile Application (version 2.0) is an online and offline agricultural one-stop-shop application by NISS, it is an improvement over an earlier one developed in 2021.
“It serves as a platform to collect and analyse data, proffer solutions and give advice to farmers, extension workers, agro-dealers, and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector on the best agricultural practices to improve food production.
“This updated version was to accommodate agricultural research video instructions, and training for quality sensitisation of different stakeholders in Nigeria and beyond, as well as received and respond to individuals questions and complains,” he said.
Agbakoba assured that the Institute would continue to upload and update that mobile app with new agro-research finding to help farmers and extension workers adjust and adapt to the latest trends in the agro-industry.
In an interview with one of the participants, Mrs Obasi Chinyere from Abia state, she commended NISS for organising the training workshop for farmers and extension agents in South East, describing the updated mobile application as a welcome development.
“This updated mobile application is a welcome development for farmers and extension agents as we can now access information directly from our mobile phones using the app.
“Farmers can check farm inventories and weather conditions that will help them in making farming decisions and have the knowledge, service, and tools that will improve productivity.
“We thank NISS for organising and sponsoring the workshop, we are going back to our various bases to train others who could not make it here today,” she said.
