Food security: Abdul Rahman advocates application of AI
By Musa Ishaq | Abuja |
Professor Shehu Abdul Rahman, the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Lafia, (FULafia), has called for the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture to tackle food insecurity in Nigeria and across Africa.
He made the call on Thursday, recently, while presenting a lecture at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre (NARC), Abuja.
In his presentation, Abdul Rahman said that AI can significantly improve food production, reduce waste and make farming more efficient.
He said: “AI is not the future, it is the now. Its applications in agriculture may determine whether we win the war against hunger.”
He said that AI tools can help farmers determine the best planting times, detect pests early and manage resources efficiently.
Buttressing his point, he said that the “smart sprayer,” an AI-driven system that targets weeds only, could be used to reduce herbicide by as much as 90%.
He, also, cited the example of robotic harvesters that identify and pick ripe fruits like strawberries and help to address labour shortages and minimise post-harvest losses.
Abdul Rahman said that AI can enhance quality control, forecast consumer demand, reduce food waste and improve food safety through advanced image recognition systems.
He added: “Personalised nutrition, based on individual health data, is another innovation gaining ground through AI.”
However, he cautioned that AI adoption comes with its own challenges including high costs of implementation, limited access for small-scale farmers, data security risks and need for more inclusive policies.
He called on stakeholders to invest in infrastructure, training and ethical frameworks to ensure that the technology benefits all.
Abdul Rahman praised the Nigerian Army’s increasing involvement in agriculture, pointing out initiatives like the planting of one million date seedlings and the development of rice farms to boost food production nationwide.
These efforts, he said, aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the armed forces to utilise available land for agricultural purposes.
Earlier, the Director-General of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Maj-Gen. Garba Ayodeji Wahab (rtd), welcomed Abdul Rahman to the centre, expressing his appreciation for the vice-chancellor’s visit.
He said that the centre remained committed to supporting knowledge-sharing initiatives that can contribute to national development, especially in the area of food security.
Those who accompanied the vice-chancellor to the NARC lecture series were the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Professor Aleruchi Chuku, Director, Centre for Cultural Studies, Prof. Zara Kwaghe, Prof. Okpeh Okpeh, Special Adviser to the vice-chancellor, Dr Musa Bashir Agbawu and Personal Secretary to the vice-chancellor Dr Bashir Ozomata.
