By Faridat Salifu
The Federal Government, in partnership with the European Union, has launched a €2.7 million Earth Observation initiative aimed at modernising agricultural planning and strengthening food security in Nigeria.
The project was unveiled on Thursday in Abuja, bringing together government officials, development partners, and stakeholders in the agriculture and technology sectors.
The initiative is designed to deploy satellite and geospatial technology to improve decision-making in farming, including crop monitoring, land use management, and yield forecasting.
Officials said the system will help shift Nigeria’s agriculture from largely manual assessment methods to real-time, data-driven planning supported by Earth observation tools.
The Federal Government explained that the project is also intended to improve preparedness for climate-related risks such as flooding, drought, and erratic rainfall patterns that continue to affect farmers across the country.
It added that the technology will support more efficient resource allocation, especially in irrigation planning and climate-smart agriculture interventions.
Development partners involved in the programme said the investment will help close long-standing gaps in agricultural data, which have limited policy accuracy and private sector planning.
They noted that improved access to satellite-based information would also enhance transparency and monitoring of agricultural programmes.
The initiative is part of broader efforts to integrate digital tools into Nigeria’s agricultural system, with the aim of boosting productivity and strengthening resilience in the sector.
