The Federal Government, through the Minister for Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani has announced that Nigerians can now apply to be a part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution Technology (FIRT). The minister, on the 27th of November, took to his X page to announce the launch of the new Agric project. “I’m pleased to announce the launch of our first 4IRTA initiative 4irta.nitda.gov.ng in Agriculture.” He tweeted.
This announcement is coming after the Federal Government has recently selected applicants for its 3MTT courses. Bosun Tijani stated in his tweet that the idea behind this new project is to motivate Nigerians at large to use technology.
“Our intent is to encourage and inspire the use of technology, especially Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies like UAV, IoT, AI & Blockchain, to optimize different sectors of our economy.”
He further explained that the Agricultural Demonstration Project will enable the government to pinpoint and integrate readily marketable innovations that utilize these Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to improve productivity and sustainability within our agricultural sector. To round up his announcement, he implored Nigerians in relevant sectors to apply as the portal is now open at 4irta.nitda.gov.ng and will be on till the 7th of December 2023.
Benefits of the 4IRTA Project
- Selected projects will be eligible for funding of up to N10,000,000 to further integrate the use of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies into their operations.
- The Ministry of Agriculture will offer assistance to chosen pilot farms and facilitate a pathway towards expansion and long-term viability.
Who can apply?
- Any chosen projects must revolve around utilizing UAV, IoT, AI, and Blockchain in various agricultural subcategories, such as crop production, fisheries, livestock, and forestry.
- Anyone with Project proposals that demonstrate the use of 4IR Technologies to improve agricultural productivity and sustainability in Nigeria.
Applications will be assessed for:
- Innovations
- Impact
- Feasibility
- Sustainability
Successful applicants will be contacted 6 weeks after the close of application. This must be after rigorous screening of applications has taken place to ensure that only the right people get this opportunity.
What people think about this new project
When Bosun Tijani made this announcement on X, it gained a number of reactions from people;
An X user quoted the tweet;
“For someone who was neither a career politician nor a prospective appointee before the elections, @bosuntijani is arguably the most visible Minister so far with laudable initiatives. Whether these initiatives hit their target or not, it’s obvious the Minister is desirous of change.”
Another X user replied by saying;
“I’ll give it a shot. Agriculture is a key area of our intervention.”
Most of the responses were positive, so the government reiterated that people send in their applications and be part of this big project.
