By Femi Dansu

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), in collaboration with Integrated Aerial Precision (IAP) and DJI Agriculture, hosted an Agricultural Drone Show on campus to enlighten agriculturists on the transformative potential of drone technology in agriculture.

Themed “Transforming Nigeria’s Agriculture with Drone Technology,” the event featured an engaging lecture and a live field demonstration of drone applications in agricultural practices.

In his Welcome Address, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde emphasised the importance of catching up with the global advancement in drone technology, saying that the time was ripe for Nigeria to harness its immense benefits.

Reflecting on FUNAAB’s recent outstanding global rankings, Prof. Kehinde stressed that the University’s achievements were reflections of its commitment to its Tripodal Mandate of Teaching, Research, and Extension services. He urged students to take advantage of the seminar, encouraging them to “Join the train” and explore the vast possibilities that drone technology offers.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Committee at FUNAAB, Prof. Gabriel Dedeke noted that to engage the youths in agriculture, it was essential to move away from traditional farming methods and adopt technological innovations. He argued that the youths would be more inclined to participate in agriculture if they could engage with advanced tools like drones, which signified a leap forward in agricultural production.

Corroborating the Chairman, Mr. Femi Adekoya, an alumnus of the University and CEO of Integrated Aerial Precision and Precision Field Academy, highlighted the evolving nature of agriculture, driven by technological advancements. He explained that new technologies, including drones, were empowering farmers to operate more effectively and efficiently, optimising every aspect of their farm operations.

He pointed out that drones were gaining traction because they were smarter, more portable, cost-effective, and offered unparalleled data quality, among other advantages.

Mr. Adekoya, therefore, outlined the various applications of drones in agriculture, including topographic mapping, irrigation management, crop health assessment, pest and disease scouting, aerial application of plant protection products, seed and fertilizer broadcasting, livestock monitoring, and agricultural insurance.

Meanwhile, in the realm of security and surveillance, FUNAAB has already employed drones to detect unauthorised encroachments on its land as far back as 2020.