The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has necessitated a shift across different societies, offering innovative solutions to long-standing challenges in multiple sectors, including agriculture. In Nigeria, agriculture is a firm provider of livelihoods and sustenance for millions of people. Nevertheless, the agricultural sector continues to struggle with recurring obstacles, including unpredictable climate patterns, overreliance on manual labour, pest infestations, and post-harvest losses.
In recent times, AI have started to transform Nigerian agriculture by addressing the systemic challenges that are faced. The transformation is characterised by intelligence and innovations, not merely by heavy machinery or large-scale irrigation projects. AI is equipping farmers, both smallholders and commercial operators, with tools that replace guesswork with precision. AI is redefining how food is cultivated, managed, and delivered to market, from predicting weather patterns to monitoring crops. This change promises to open up new avenues for improved productivity, thereby strengthening food security and enhancing profitability across the agricultural value chain.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence. This means that AI systems can perform tasks that commonly require human brainpower, like reasoning, learning from experience, solving problems, understanding languages, recognising images, and making decisions. AI achieves this by using data and algorithms to analyse information, identify patterns, and take actions to achieve specific goals, often improving over time without requiring direct human intervention. AI is the backbone of change in modern computing, opening value for individuals and businesses.
In simple terms, AI allows machines to think, learn, and act in ways that mirror human intelligence.
The state of Nigerian agriculture calls for transformations, such as those presented by AI. Nigeria is a farming nation, as approximately 70% of its population is engaged in agriculture, primarily as smallholder farmers.
Smallholder farmers in Nigeria primarily rely on traditional farming methods, which leave them vulnerable to the effects of climate change, including erratic rainfall and soil depletion.
Many farmers lack access to information on soil health, crop diseases, and market prices, resulting in inefficient resource use and financial losses. The USAID reports that Nigeria loses almost 50% of its fresh produce at the post-harvest stage, an alarming rate that impacts both food security and farmer income.
AI is not about replacing the farmer but about expanding their abilities, providing them with a digital toolkit to ensure smarter, more informed decisions. Olaoye Anthony Somide, CEO of CipherSense AI, a Lagos-based data and artificial intelligence company, believes that modern technology, such as AI, could play a significant role in farming across Nigeria. He noted that “Farming in Nigeria is becoming increasingly unpredictable. We need intelligence, not guesswork.”
Here are some notable ways in which AI is changing Nigerian agriculture:
1. AI-Powered Predictive Analytics: The first and most immediate impact of AI is its ability to forecast the unpredictable. Predictive analytics, a branch of AI, uses vast datasets to foresee future events, from weather patterns to market price fluctuations. For a Nigerian farmer, this means a significant reduction in risk. AI models can analyse historical climate data, current weather conditions, and satellite imagery to provide highly accurate, localised weather forecasts, enabling farmers to optimise planting and harvesting schedules.
Furthermore, AI algorithms can predict the outbreak of pests and diseases with remarkable accuracy. By analysing factors such as temperature, humidity, and historical data, these systems can send early alerts to farmers, allowing for proactive, targeted interventions before an entire harvest is wiped out. This intelligence-led approach saves crops and reduces the need for widespread, costly pesticide application, benefiting both the farmer’s wallet and the environment.
2. Intelligent Crop and Soil Monitoring: AI-powered crop and soil monitoring that allows a farmer to know the exact moisture level of their soil without having to physically check it, or identify a nutrient deficiency in a single plant within a sprawling field. This includes technologies such as remote sensing, which utilises satellite imagery and low-flying drones, to capture high-resolution images of farmlands. These images are fed into AI models that can aanalyse the data to create detailed maps of the farm. The system can detect subtle changes in plant health, identify areas of water stress, or pinpoint sections of the field with low nutrient levels.
For smallholder farmers, who often have limited resources, this precision is a game-changer. Instead of applying fertiliser or water uniformly across the entire farm, they can now apply it only where it’s needed, drastically reducing costs and waste. This targeted approach, known as precision agriculture, ensures every resource is used for maximum impact.
3. Drones and Robotics: Drones equipped with AI are transforming the physical act of farming. In many parts of Nigeria, the application of pesticides and fertilisers is a manual and often hazardous task. AI-powered drones can automate this process, flying over fields and precisely spraying chemicals only where necessary, minimising human exposure and preventing chemical runoff. While the widespread adoption of large-scale robotic tractors remains a futuristic prospect for Nigeria, small-scale autonomous devices for tasks such as weeding and harvesting are being explored. These technologies have the potential to significantly reduce the physical burden on farmers and improve efficiency, especially as the younger generation gravitates toward modern farming methods.
4. AI for Market Linkages and Supply Chain Optimisation:The challenges of Nigerian agriculture don’t end at the farm gate. The journey from farm to market is often marred by inefficiencies, from poor road networks to a complex web of middlemen that reduce farmer profits. AI is tackling this problem head-on by optimising the agricultural value chain. AI-driven platforms can analyse real-time market data to connect farmers directly with buyers, ensuring they get fair prices for their produce. These digital marketplaces also reduce post-harvest losses by enabling farmers to sell their goods quickly and at the right time.
Furthermore, AI can forecast demand for specific crops, providing farmers with valuable information that helps them decide what to plant to maximise their return on investment. This intelligence-based market linkage improves food security by ensuring that supply meets demand and reduces waste, while also making farming a more profitable venture for the farmers.
“The combination of digital technology and human creativity in deploying it will revolutionise Africa’s farmers by overcoming isolation, speeding up change, and taking success to scale,” said Bolaji Akinboro, co-founder of Cellulant, a leading African digital payments and agribusiness platform. His perspective highlights that the true power of AI lies in its ability to connect fragmented parts of the agricultural ecosystem, from the farmer to the consumer, creating a more cohesive and profitable value chain.
Zenvus, for instance, has pioneered the use of smart sensors and AI platforms to revolutionise soil diagnostics and crop performance monitoring. Their technology involves placing proprietary electronic sensors in the soil to collect real-time data on moisture, nutrients, pH, and temperature. This data is then wirelessly transmitted to an AI platform for analysis. The company’s goal is to transform farming into a business by helping farmers make informed decisions, rather than relying on guesswork.
Artificial intelligence is swiftly evolving from a futuristic concept into an everyday reality on Nigerian farms. Through predictive analytics, precise crop monitoring, optimised resource use, and improved market linkages, AI technologies are empowering farmers across Nigeria to increase productivity, reduce risks, and enhance sustainability.
AI is no longer a futuristic concept for Nigerian agriculture; it is a present reality with the power to transform the sector from a subsistence practice into an innovative, profitable, and sustainable industry. While significant challenges remain, the clear benefits of AI are creating a way for stakeholders to invest in this new era of farming.
