The Federal Government on Monday declared open applications for the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies (4IRTA) which is meant to optimize Nigeria’s economy. The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani disclosed this in a statement on X with the intent to encourage and inspire the use of technology.
“Our intent is to encourage and inspire the use of technology, especially Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies like UAV, IoT, AI & Blockchain, to optimize different sectors of our economy,” Tijani said.
“So, I’m pleased to announce the launch of our first 4IRTA initiative https://4irta.nitda.gov.ng in Agriculture.”
He added that the Agriculture Demonstration Project will allow Nigeria to identify and mainstream market-ready innovations that leverage these 4IR technologies to enhance productivity and sustainability in the nation’s agricultural sector. These projects will be designed as pilot to illustrate how these technologies can be successfully implemented in Nigeria Selected projects will receive up to N10,000,000 in funding to deepen the application of 4IR technologies in their work.
The Ministry of Agriculture will support selected pilot farms and navigate a path to scale and sustainability. According to the Minister, applications are open now at https://4irta.nitda.gov.ng and will run till Thursday, December 7, 2023. In a related development, Tijani said on X that improved connectivity for Nigerians is a critical infrastructure for economic growth in the country.
“As we co-create innovative solutions in our digital economy, we are actively learning about policy tools and financing models from other parts of the world that will help connect the unserved and underserved,” he posted.
He stated that the conversation on developing the right funding model to finance broadband Connectivity, at the working group convened by the UN Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, Smart Africa, and other partners is an important step in bridging the digital divide, which is a key outcome of Nigeria’s infrastructure pillar.
