‎Abia Govt Launches ADDS Platform for Farmers

Abia Government, on Thursday, launched the Abia Agriculture Dynamic Database System (ABIA ADDS) platform for farmers in the state.
‎
‎The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the platform is a digital initiative designed to boost agricultural data collection, farmer identification, planning, and targeted interventions across the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.
‎
‎The initiative is expected to empower farmers, improve productivity, and make Abia a leading agricultural hub in Nigeria.
‎
‎Gov. Alex Otti unveiled the initiative at the three-day Abia Tech and Innovation Summit, holding at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia.
‎
‎The governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Caleb Ajagba, described the launch as a transformative and innovative event for the agricultural development of the state.
‎
‎According to him, the initiative was a fulfilment of a promise he made when he assumed office in 2023 to pursue a transformative agenda that would rebuild the economy from the grassroots.
‎
‎In his words: “Agriculture is not merely a sector of our economy, it is the heartbeat of our communities and a pathway to sustainable prosperity for our people
‎
‎“For too long, the challenge in agriculture has not been the lack of potential or interest of our teeming population, but the deficit of timely, reliable information and coordinated action.
‎
‎“Farmers have, before now, lacked reliable data, predictable access to inputs, extension services, finance and markets.
‎
‎“Policymakers have had to rely on fragmented, outdated data to make decisions.
‎
‎“Gaps in registration, land use information, value chain mapping and market intelligence have constrained investment and undermined productivity.”
‎
‎In his keynote speech, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Cliff Agbaeze, said the historic launch ushered in an era, where decisions would be guided by truth, accuracy and intelligence, not assumptions.
‎
‎Agbaeze said Abia ADDS was launched because for decades, farmers had worked tirelessly, yet largely invisible in the system, “unknown, uncounted, unaccounted for and unrecognised”.
‎
‎He said that the project was anchored on the vision of the governor to establish a sustainable, competitive and resilient agricultural sector.
‎
‎Agbaeze further said that it was designed to boost food production, create job opportunities and contribute to the state’s economic growth.
‎