The National Information Technology Development Agency and an American multinational digital communications technology corporation, Cisco International, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the adoption of smart solutions for irrigation of 500,000 farmlands across Nigeria.

The NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi revealed that the MoU would facilitate the adoption of digital technology/solutions for the irrigation in line with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to boost food security and address socio-economic challenges in the country.

Abdullahi signed the MoU at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja with the Chief Executive Officer/Country Director of Cisco, Clayton Naidoo.

The NITDA boss said the MoU would accelerate the delivering of digital services to Nigerians through smart agriculture, education, health and other social services.

He said President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda was anchored on delivering digital services through technological solutions, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and drones, amongst others, to solve Nigeria’s critical problems.

According to him, NITDA is partnering Cisco to boost agricultural productivity and food security with the adoption of technologies to be extended to unserved and underserved areas of the country.

Abdullahi, who took the Cisco team round some designated farms in Abuja, said the digital company would work with a firm in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to develop a learning centre on the use of AI, IoT, and other technology solutions to improve businesses.

“The MoU we signed today is aimed at accelerating the adoption of technology solutions as well as digital services to enhance agricultural productivity and improve health care services, security, among others.