Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta Hosts DIGISOL Workshop on Digital Tools for Agricultural Extension

The Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has commenced a two-day capacity-building workshop under the DIGISOL Project to accelerate the integration of digital tools into agricultural extension systems.

The programme, which began on February 19, 2026, convened agricultural officers, ICT professionals, policymakers, and development stakeholders to recalibrate extension delivery through technology-driven solutions.

Declaring the workshop open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde—represented by the Director, Directorate of Academic Planning, Prof. Olajide Sogunle—commended the DIGISOL consortium and partner institutions for sustaining a collaborative, impact-focused initiative. He noted that similar engagements across partner universities had validated the project’s strategic relevance.

The Vice-Chancellor positioned extension professionals as critical enablers in translating research outputs into field-level solutions, effectively bridging innovation and farmers, particularly in underserved rural communities. He urged participants to treat the training as a multiplier platform—strengthening research–farmer linkages, scaling productivity, and embedding innovation across agricultural sub-sectors.

In his welcome remarks, the DIGISOL Zonal Project Coordinator at FUNAAB, Prof. Adewale Dipeolu, described the workshop as a practical demonstration of the University’s commitment to resilient, technology-enabled agricultural systems. He explained that the DIGISOL Project is structured around context-specific digital solutions, underpinned by research, innovation, capacity building, and policy alignment.

Characterising the programme as a “train-the-trainer” model, Prof. Dipeolu emphasised that participants were being equipped with deployable competencies in digital farmer engagement, market intelligence, climate-smart advisory services, and alternative livelihood support.

The DIGISOL Project Manager, Prof. Christopher Eze, underscored digital transformation as a non-negotiable lever in addressing contemporary agricultural constraints. He noted that the FUNAAB session marked the third and concluding workshop in the series, following earlier engagements at the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences Umuagwo and Al-Hikmah University Ilorin, reflecting a coordinated multi-institutional rollout.

Providing an international outlook, DIGISOL Project Team Leader, Mr. Chris Addy-Nayo, advocated for indigenous digital applications calibrated to local realities. He maintained that Nigeria possesses the technical and human capital to lead ICT-driven agricultural transformation across West Africa, provided innovation is strategically deployed and scaled.

Delivering the keynote address, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Forestry, Ogun State, Dr. Adekunle Oyesanwen, described agricultural extension as the strategic bridge linking research, policy formulation, and on-farm practice. He observed the sector’s evolution from labour-intensive dissemination models to technology-enabled, data-driven systems powered by mobile platforms, GIS, remote sensing, and interactive communication tools.

While acknowledging infrastructure deficits and digital literacy gaps, he stressed that initiatives such as DIGISOL are critical to upskilling frontline extension officers and ensuring measurable, sustainable impact.

Technical sessions featured expert presentations by Prof. Oluwasefunmi Arogundade on digital platforms for extension delivery; Engr. Bolaji Ogidan on global best practices; Mr. Olufemi Akinniyi of OGADEP on the evolution of extension systems; Dr. Olorunjube Falana on digital content creation; and Dr. Chikamso Apeh on climate-smart agriculture and digital advisory frameworks.

Among dignitaries present were the Director, Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC), Prof. Jacob Olaoye; DIGISOL team members, Dr. Adetayo Aromolaran and Dr. Folasade Oke; and the National Coordinator of the DIGISOL Project from the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Prof. Chinasaokwu Onyemauwa.