Agriculture : NISS updates mobile agro app for effective service delivery to farmers in the country

By Agency Report

The Nigeria Institute of Soil Science, (NISS) has updated it's Agro Mobile App for effective service  delivery to farmers, extension agents, to help achieve food security in the country.

Prof Victor Chude, the Registrar NISS,  disclosed this in Nsukka on Wednesday during a one-day training workshop for farmers, extension agents, agro dealers and other stakeholders in agricultural sector in South East.

He said that, the institute was determined in its mandate of regulating the profession of soil science in Nigeria as well as providing a scientific base for enhancing productivity of soil resources.

"It's part of our mandate to provide a scientific base for enhancing and sustaining productivity of soil resources, geared towards achieving food security.

"The institute updates its NISSAGRO mobile application to  accommodate feedbacks from farmers and extension agents to ensure effective service delivery  geared towards achieving food security.

"The update becomes necessary due to the needs and feedback from users after the first version was lunched in 2021.

"The app is updated and  more features added to enhance better and quality service delivery to farmers in the country," he said.

The NISS boss said that, the app would promote registered  soil scientists' services and engage farmers, extension workers, researchers, Agro-dealers and other stakeholders on good agricultural practices.

"Through the app, fertilizers will be recommended for farmers and technology needed for improving soil and food production in each locality in Nigeria will be provided," he said.

The registrar who was represented by Mr. Ojimire Osasa, Agric Officer at NISS Abuja urged the participants to take the training workshop very serious and shared knowledge acquired with  their members in their different places.

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 towards improving the first version during the July 2022 first training on the mobile application.

"The institute incorporated  participants inputs during the last training  to produce this second version.

"This updated version has more features, user friendly and it contains latest information that any farmer or extension worker needed to improve on soil for increased and sustainable agricultural production,"he said.

The coordinator commended the registrar for the update which he said had solved majority of shortcomings of the first version.

Speaking, Mr Augustine Agbakoba, the Resource person from NISS Headqurters Abuja, said that the updated version was 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 version 2.0 is an online and offline agricultural one-stop shop application by NISS, it is an improvement from the first version developed in 2021.

"It serves as a platform to collect, 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.

"This updated version accommodates agricultural research video instructions, and trainings for quality sensitisation of different stakeholders in Nigeria and beyond,as well as respond to individuals questions and complains," he said.

Agbakoba assured that, the Institute would continue to update the mobile app with new agro research finding to help farmers and extension workers be in the same page with their colleagues globally.

In an an interview with NAN, some participants commended  NISS for updating the  app for effective services delivery to farmers and other users.

They said that, the  updated version was more user friendly, has more features as well as 
answered many questions raised  by users in the first version.
(NAN)