The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES), Umuagwo, Imo State, Professor Christopher Chiedozie Eze, has lamented the urgent need to equip rural farmers with practical skills and digital knowledge to withstand the growing impacts of climate change.
Professor Eze made the call while declaring open a two-day capacity-building workshop organised by the university’s Digisol Project for agricultural extension officers, heads of agricultural departments, leaders of farmer cooperatives, ICT and digital agriculture experts, and other key stakeholders in Imo State.
He noted that the Digisol Project, now in its third year, has been systematically developing digital solutions aimed at supporting sustainable food production and improving farmers’ livelihoods.
He explained that extension officers and local agricultural administrators remain critical channels for delivering timely, relevant information to farmers, stressing that the workshop was designed to strengthen their technical capacity to deploy digital tools in remote communities.
According to him, these tools are expected to improve service delivery, address climate-related production challenges and enhance income stability for farming households.
The Vice-Chancellor added that beyond training officers on newly developed digital applications, the initiative also prioritises alternative livelihood options for farmers, enabling them to use digital platforms to diversify income streams and cushion the economic losses associated with climate variability.
The workshop, themed “Capacity Building for Agricultural Officers and Local Authorities on the Use of Digital Tools for Enhanced Service Delivery,” was organised under the European Union-funded Digisol Project, a collaborative programme led by UAES in partnership with institutions within and outside Nigeria.
Professor Eze also commended Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, for establishing UAES and sustaining the institution through consistent research and development funding, which he said has strengthened the university’s capacity to deliver impactful, solution-driven research.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the Digisol Project, Professor Chinasokwu Onyemauwa, noted that sustainable agriculture is a cornerstone of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, emphasising that achieving it requires deliberate investment in rural infrastructure, research, technology and innovation to empower farming communities.
