Last Updated on April 29, 2025 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
By Olasunkanmi Olajide & Joy Adeyiga
In a bid to revolutionise agricultural practices and bolster climate resilience among farmers, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), today, April 24, 2025, hosted a One-Day Training Workshop under its DIGISOL Project.
Themed “Digital Financial Solutions Training for Farmers, Cooperatives, and Local Authorities for Sustainable Agriculture to Adapt to Climate Change,” the event brought together a diverse mix of stakeholders, including farmers, cooperatives, and digital solution providers, on the campus.
Declaring the workshop open, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, who was represented by the Head, Department of Animal Production and Health (APH), Prof. Lawrence Egbeyale, urged participants to embrace innovation and return to their communities with actionable insights that could elevate their agricultural enterprises to global standards.
“We are in a digital era and must stay abreast of the times to remain relevant,” Prof. Egbeyale stressed. “Climate change is a pressing challenge for agriculture, and this training provides practical digital solutions. I encourage all participants to take the knowledge gained here seriously.”
Delivering the Opening Remarks, the FUNAAB-DIGISOL Team Lead, Prof. Adewale Dipeolu, underscored the importance of empowering rural farming communities with digital tools to enhance climate adaptability and sustainable livelihoods.
“Climate change is not a future concern, it’s already disrupting the agricultural landscape,” Prof. Dipeolu noted. “This project bridges the gap between tradition and technology, enabling financial inclusion, digital literacy, and climate-smart agriculture.”
He revealed that the training was informed by a comprehensive baseline survey conducted across Ogun State, ensuring that the content was locally relevant and research-driven. He also acknowledged the support of the European Union, project lead Mr. Chris Addy Nayo, and academic partners from the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (UAES), Umuagwo; Al-Hikmah University Ilorin, and FUNAAB.
Highlighting the structure of the training, Prof. Dipeolu encouraged participants to go beyond passive learning and actively engage with the digital tools introduced to transform their farming operations.
The plenary sessions featured key digital solution providers. Mr. Ismail Obadimu, Software Developer at Kicest, led the first session with an expert presentation on Digital Financial Solutions (DFS) and their role in helping farmers mitigate climate change effects.
The second plenary, delivered on behalf of the Senior Sales Representative of MTN/MoMo by Dr. Temitope Akara, explored the use cases of MoMo DFS for agripreneurs. The final plenary, presented by the Regional Manager of Opay, provided an overview of Opay’s financial products and services tailored to support farmers in navigating the impacts of climate change.
Through the DIGISOL initiative, FUNAAB has continued to champion the use of technology to drive agricultural sustainability, digital inclusion, and climate resilience.
