Transcript Presentation on ICT for Farmers

Delivering ICT for Farmers in Nigeria
(ICT For Farmers Project)
November 2012
Presented by
Abdullahi Maikano
Secretary, Universal Service Provision Fund
1
Content
Introduction
Concepts
What we have done to date
Findings from what we have done
Next steps
Appendix - Clusters
2
Introduction
The innovative project, dubbed ‘ICT for Farmers’, is an initiative of the Federal Ministry
of Agriculture in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology,
aims to provide farmers with access to pertinent agriculture-related information, advice
and research that will help them make better decisions about their crops, increasing the
productivity of their yield, as well as their potential income through the use of ICT.
It will also help create a farmer community within which peers can share experiences
and exchange information about social gatherings, events, and opportunities. The
initiative aims to facilitate the rapid scaling of the use of mobile phone to provide
farmers across the country with agricultural information.
3
Project Concept
Objectives:
The project is focused on projects/services that provide agricultural related information to farmers
directly, through the use of ICTs. The project is aimed to achieve the following:
• Extension mobile network coverage and ICT services through mobile phone to farmers across
the country
• Provision of mobile phone to registered farmers
• Establishment of CUG (Closed User Group) for the registered farmers in order to provide them
with lower calling tariffs
• Building of information centres in each state of the federation
Strategy:
• To partner with the FMARD and GSM/CDMA operators to achieve the project objectives
• To provide subsidies to the GSM/CDMA operators to extend their network to farmer locations
and provide the necessary ICT tools
Project Phases:
The project is proposed to be implemented in two phases:
• Pilot Phase I: 37 LGAs in 13 states and FCT across the six geo-political zones in the country are to
be selected for the pilot phase
• Phase II: Other LGAs not covered in the pilot phase
4
418,744 farmers have been targeted for the pilot phase
S/No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
Zone
State
Adamawa
Gombe
Sokoto
North West
Kaduna
Benue
North Central
Kwara
Anambra
South East
Ebonyi
Ogun
South West
Ondo
Bayelsa
South South
Delta
FCT
Kuje
TOTAL
North East
No. of Registered
Farmers
42543
49270
17183
42936
71032
36751
80471
31302
7566
16347
X
12460
10883
418,744
No. of Registered
Farmers with
Phones
11207
16243
3708
29528
2972
7145
11097
8408
5417
10003
X
6252
5426
121,319
No. of Registered
Farmers without
Phones
31336
33027
13475
13408
68060
29606
69374
11598
2149
6344
X
6298
5457
297,424
NOTE:
1.
Source of data – Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
2.
No data for Bayelsa state as of the time of this report was compiled
3.
Registered farmers with phones will be migrated to the new platform/CUG
5
What we have done to date…
In order to deliver ICT service to farmers across the country the following tasks were
done to date:
 A Committee was established and met with the representatives of the FMARD &
their Consultants
 All LGAs of the federation with registered farmers have been grouped into
clusters.
 Cluster maps were generated for all the un-served states
 Preliminary responsibility matrix has been drawn for the contributions of the
USPF, FMARD & LGA.- See Appendix I
 Pilot LGA sites have been identified in all the geographical zones of the
Outcome: Verify the status of telecom service in the Pilot LGAs, which
were selected based on high number of farmers registered by the Fed.
federation.
Ministry of Agriculture with low number of farmers with phones.
6
… to achieve the goal of extending ICT to farmers, 37
pilot sites were selected across 13 states and the FCT
Sokoto
(Kebbe, Wurno & Sokoto South)
Kwara
(Asa, Pategi & Illorin East)
Kaduna
(Giwa, Lere & Birnin Gwari)
Gombe
(Balanga, Dukku & Yamaltu
Deba)
Adamawa
(Fufore, Jada, Mayo Belwa & Demsa)
Ogun
(Remo North, Obafemi Owode, &
Ewekoro)
Ondo
(Akure North, Ondo West, Ondo East
& Ile Oluji/Okeigo)
Delta
(Burutu, Patani & Ethiope West)
Bayelsa
(Burutu, Patani & Southern Ijaw)
FCT
(Kuje)
Benue
(Oturkpo, Gwer West & Ado Igumule)
Ebonyi
(Ikwo, Abakaliki, Izzi & Ohaukwu)
Anambra
(Ayamelum, Aguata, Anambra West,
Anambra East, Onyi, Njikoka & Anaocha)
Outcome: It was noted that most of the LGA headquarters are served by
two or more operators; however the surroundings are un-served or underserved.
7
Findings from the verification of the 37 locations
 The teams identified 1 un-served LGA, 5 under-served LGAs and 31 served LGA
Headquarters.
 The adjoining towns and villages of most LGA headquarters were under-served
because of low signal strength emanating from the BTSs that are located in the LGA
headquarters.
 The LGA headquarters are covered by at least two (2) Operators, however the
coverage in fringes are poor.
Recommendation:
All the operators identified in those areas and others are to be invited to bring their proposal of
extending their services to the adjoining villages and communities, which will include the
provision of Closed User Group (CUG), mobile broadband internet facilities and other value
added services for registered farmers and others in the LGAs.
8
Typical Findings: Most LGA headquarters proposed in
the pilot sites were found to be fully covered but the
fringes were either unserved or under-served
Birnin Gwari LGA
Kaduna State
Nigeria
Note:
Indicates area with mobile network service
Indicates area without mobile network service
9
Typical Findings…continued
 Our findings typically indicate that
 Most of the LGA headquarters. are fully covered.
 The fringes are either unserved or under-served.
 Significant number of farmers reside in the surroundings and not LGA
headquarters.
 Only 2 CDMA operators are present in 3 LGA headquarters.
 98% of the Operators with coverage at the LGA headquarters are GSM
operators like MTN, Glo, Airtel and Etisalat.
10
Next steps
1.
Invite the GSM operators for discussion on the findings (see slide 10)
2.
Operators to verify the findings
3.
Operators to survey and design BTS coverage/extension to cover the
extend LGAs in the pilot sites
4.
Operators to upgrade network in areas with coverage
5.
Operates to create CUG, and Special SIMS & locked Phones
6.
Migrate farmers already possessing GSM phones to the new platform.
7.
Conclude on RFPs, Tenders and Contracts
8.
Negotiate with Network Operators on Subsidy/Services
9.
Estimate a realistic time frame for project execution
11
Next steps
Nov. 2012
Dec. 2012
Jan. 2013
March 2013
May 2013
19th Meet with Operators to explain the concept of the project and their
contributions vis-à-vis USPFs intervention and other stakeholders.
119th
Operators carryout survey or pilot areas
31st
Deadline for operators to submit proposals.
28th
Evaluated proposals and implementers selected by this day
14th
Issue letter of award to successful implementers
18th
Public announcement of implementation is made to the Nigerian public
1st
Implementation and rollout of services/phones
commences
Outcome: All pilot sites and targeted farmers completed by May 2013
12
 USPF – Responsibility Matrix
 To facilitate the deployment of Infrastructure that is interoperable for the extension of
wireless telecommunication services to un-served and under served locations




- The Infrastructure will be opened to all group of people (irrespective of their
professions). All groups will have access to the Infrastructure and services that will
be rendered by the telecom operators
Provision of Subsidy to Operators (To deploy BTS & other Services)
Provision of ICT tools at Help Desk/Data Centers
Facilitate the creation of CUG
Connectivity to Data Center
 FMARD – Policy facilitation
 Provide support for Farmers already possessing GSM phones to migrate to the new
platform
 Facilitate the provision of mobile phones to farmers
 Provision of Staff for Help Desk/Data Centers
 Facilitate the installation of Software , E-wallet, Information and other extension services
 Ensure Farmers registration, Fertilizer distribution etc
 Provide accommodation for Data Centers
Major financial contributions
 USPF – Provision of Subsidy to Operators



Provision of ICT tools at Help Desk/Data Centers
Subsidies for CUG
Connectivity to Data Center & Farmers
 FMARD – Policy facilitation





Provide support for farmers already possessing GSM phones to migrate
to the new platform
Provision of Locked mobile phones to farmers
Provision of Staff for Help Desk/Data Centers
FRMIS Software , e-wallet, Information and extension services
Farmers registration, Fertilizers etc.
 FARMERS – Partial cost of Handsets


Partial cost of CUG & data services
Note -50% cost of handsets may be subsidized by FMARD to enable
sustenance of project.
14
Appendix - Clusters
15
Adamawa State clusters
16
Anambra State clusters
17
Benue State clusters
18
Bayelsa State clusters
19
Delta State clusters
20
Ebonyi State clusters
21
Gombe State clusters
22
Kaduna State clusters
23
Kwara State clusters
24
Ogun State clusters
25
Ondo State clusters
26
Sokoto State clusters
27