Agriculture is the mainstay of Africa’s economy and it provides living for a lot of people in this continent. But, usual ways of farming are not always effective; they can cause problems like low crop production, no food certainty and poverty. Now, a new era of inventive remedies has come up that are changing how agriculture works across Africa. These new advancements cover a wide range, from leading technologies to enduring methods. All have the goal of improving productivity, durability and sustainability. Let’s dive into this blog that looks at some of the most effective innovations pushing African agriculture transformation forward.

 

Precision Agriculture: Leveraging Technology for Higher Yields

 

Drones and Satellite Imagery

 

Precision agriculture, it is using technology for better observation and handling of crops. Drones and pictures from satellites are playing a big part in this change. These can give farmers clear views from above their fields, helping them spot problems like bugs affecting the plants, lack of nutrients or too much water pressure on them. By addressing these problems promptly, farmers can improve crop health and increase yields.

 

Internet of Things (IoT) and Smart Farming

 

The smart solutions from the Internet of Things (IoT) have brought in sensor and data analysis technology to make farming more effective. For instance, soil sensors are used to measure moisture and nutrient levels in the soil. This helps farmers apply water and fertilizers better by providing them with real-time information about what their plants need most at any given time. There are smart irrigation systems that link up with these sensors; this makes it possible for automated watering schedules adjusted according to current conditions – lessening waste on water while also enhancing crop growth through precision control methods like drip irrigation or spray application methods as needed for different areas within a farm field etc. The Internet of Things (IoT) brings advanced technology into farming through its smart solutions. For example, sensors that can detect changes in moisture and nutrient levels within the soil give farmers important details on how much water or fertilizer they should use for each area of land. These findings help optimize agricultural practices by only applying these resources when necessary based on actual needs identified from real-time data collected by these devices placed throughout farms fields etcetera – which means lessening waste while increasing efficiency greatly!

 

Climate-Smart Agriculture: Adapting to Climate Change

 

Drought-Resistant Crops

 

Agriculture in Africa faces strong problems due to climate change, mainly from higher temperatures and unpredictable rain patterns. Scientists have made progress in developing crop varieties that can resist drought and still give good harvests even when there is less rainfall, so farmers can keep up their productivity under changing weather conditions. These farming products like maize and millet which tolerate dryness are very important for keeping food safety in areas at risk. For more latest news connect at Africa Latest News.

 

Agroforestry and Conservation Agriculture

 

Agroforestry, the technique of combining trees and shrubs with crop and livestock systems, boosts biodiversity and enhances soil well-being. It helps trap carbon, fight against climate change effects, and gives extra money-making chances from selling timber plus non-timber products. Conservation agriculture methods such as less soil disturbance or changing crops often can increase fertility for healthier soils that are more resistant to climate shifts.

 

Digital Platforms: Connecting Farmers to Markets

 

Mobile Apps and Market Access

 

Technological advancements in mobile phones have greatly impacted African farmers, making information and markets more accessible to them. Mobile apps now offer real-time market prices, weather predictions along with good farming methods. For example, applications such as M-Farm that works in Kenya or Esoko for Ghana allow direct connection between farmers and buyers. This helps cut down middlemen involvement while also guaranteeing fair pricing for produce from these farmers (Waldman et al., 2021). These digital tools give power to farmers by providing them with information about markets, helping them make smart choices and boost their earnings.

 

E-commerce and Supply Chain Management

 

E-commerce platforms are altering the way agricultural supply chain works in Africa. Businesses such as Twiga Foods from Kenya make it easier to distribute fresh farm produce to city markets, lessening losses after harvest and securing a continuous availability of cheap food. These platforms use data analysis to improve logistics, improve efficiency in the supply chain and diminish wastage of food.

 

Financial Innovations: Empowering Smallholder Farmers

 

Mobile Banking and Digital Payments

 

In Africa, small-scale farmers have usually struggled to reach financial services. But with the rise of mobile banking and digital payment solutions like M-Pesa in Kenya, this issue has been solved. These methods allow farmers to save money securely and easily, get credit when needed and do transactions without risk. Such financial tools help them put more into their work, grow bigger and have better life quality.

 

Agricultural Insurance

 

Also, a significant innovation that helps African farmers greatly is agricultural insurance. Insurance products made specifically for the requirements of small-scale farmers help to cover risks such as crop failure, extreme weather occurrences and diseases affecting livestock. Programs like Ethiopia’s Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) and Kenya use satellite information to activate payouts according to rainfall trends. These give farmers a safety net and motivate them to invest in productive resources.

 

Sustainable Practices: Ensuring Long-Term Productivity

 

Organic Farming and Integrated Pest Management

 

Agricultural practices that can be maintained for a long time are very important to keep productivity and environment healthy. Organic farming, which doesn’t use synthetic materials, uses natural methods for improving soil fertility and handling pests. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) method incorporates biological, cultural and mechanical practices to control pests sustainably. This lowers the need for chemical pesticides while supporting biodiversity.

 

Water Management and Irrigation

 

To farm in Africa, it’s necessary to focus on water management for long-term agriculture sustainability. The use of irrigation methods like drop and sprinkler systems is helpful because they provide water directly at the roots of plants, reducing evaporation and increasing the effectiveness of using water. Harvesting rainwater and storing it in containers or underground tanks helps farmers gather rainwater for later use when there is a lack of rainfall, making sure there is a steady supply of water available for their crops and improving their ability to withstand dry periods.

 

Capacity Building: Empowering Farmers Through Education and Training

 

Farmer Field Schools and Extension Services

 

Education and training are very important in the process of transforming agriculture. Farmer Field Schools give practical lessons to farmers about modern farming methods, how to manage pests and sustainable ways of doing things. Extension services, usually with help from governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), provide technical support and guidance for farmers. They assist them in adopting new technologies as well as enhancing their farming methods.

 

Youth and Women Empowerment

 

Giving power to youth and women is very important for the future of farming in Africa. Plans that offer work skills, resources, and chances to lead are inspiring young people and females to involve in agriculture. Also, things like the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD) help female scientists as well as farmers which improves gender equality while boosting new ideas for agriculture.

 

Conclusion

 

The change in agriculture happening in Africa is a result of various elements such as new technologies, long-lasting methods and actions that provide power. Precision farming, climate-conscious solutions, digital stages for exchanges, financial alterations and improvement of abilities all combine together to make African agriculture more productive, resistant and sustainable. As these innovations keep growing and getting better over time – they promise an enhanced food security situation while also helping with lessening poverty rates plus supporting economic expansion throughout the continent. If Africa takes up and expands on these solutions, it can tap into the complete capacity of its agricultural area. This will guarantee a successful future for both farmers and communities in Africa.

Ghanaian tech influencers, Dessy and Delppy, have been selected by META, the parent company for Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, to push the company’s new AI innovations and make the technology more accessible to the Ghanaian community.

Real names – Emmanuel Fianko and Desmond Ofori Appiah, Delppy, and Dessy are leading the charge in promoting META’s cutting-edge AI technologies across the African continent. Known for their dynamic presence in the tech community and their commitment to technological advancement content creation, the two are leveraging their influence to spotlight META’s innovative AI solutions.

Dessy and Delppy have established themselves as pivotal content creators in the African tech landscape. Their influence extends far beyond Ghana, reaching a diverse audience across Africa and beyond with expertise in technology and digital trends. 

META’s AI technologies promise to revolutionize various sectors. Dessy and Delppy are at the forefront of showcasing advancements through a series of engaging and informative content. 

By demonstrating the practical applications of META’s AI, they aim to educate and inspire a new generation of tech enthusiasts and professionals in Africa.

“We are thrilled to be part of this exciting journey with META. Their AI technologies have the potential to create significant positive impacts across various industries in Africa. We look forward to exploring and sharing these innovations with our audience,” said Dessy.

“Technology is a powerful tool for change, and META’s AI is at the forefront of this transformation. We are excited to highlight how AI can address real-world challenges and opportunities in Africa,” added Delppy.

Dessy and Delppy are renowned tech influencers from Ghana, known for their insightful commentary and engaging content on technology and digital trends. With a passion for innovation and a commitment to education, they have become trusted voices in the tech community.

The MTN Ghana Foundation has announced that it will close entries for its Bright Scholarship program on May 31, 2024. Eligible applicants who meet all the criteria are urged to apply through the web portal scholarship.mtn.com.gh before the application deadline.

The MTN Bright Scholarship is open to continuing students pursuing a first degree at any public tertiary institution or pursuing vocational and technical skills training. Applicants must be Ghanaians, of good conduct, and have excellent academic results.

The MTN Bright Scholarship covers the cost of tuition, accommodation, provides a stipend for books, and includes a device for the beneficiaries. The MTN Ghana Foundation will award 200 scholarships to continuing students in public tertiary institutions across the country for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Adwoa Wiafe, MTN’s Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, commented on the scholarship, stating, “we have doubled the number of beneficiaries this year because of the compelling needs in the society. We are confident that this will ease the financial burden on needy students and reduce the number of students dropping out of school due to financial constraints.”

The commencement of the MTN Bright Scholarship in 2018 was in fulfilment of a commitment MTN made to Ghanaians during the commemoration of its 20th Anniversary in 2016. During the celebrations, MTN, through the MTN Ghana Foundation, promised to award a total of 300 scholarships over three years. Considering the impact of the scholarship at the end of the first three years, the MTN Ghana Foundation again approved the renewal of the scholarship program in 2021 during MTN’s 25th Anniversary celebration.

Bolt Food, the leading platform delivery company and a thought leader in Ghana, partnered with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) to organise a pioneering one-day hygiene workshop. This inaugural event aims to enhance food safety standards among Food Service Establishments (FSEs) across Ghana, reflecting Bolt Food’s strong commitment to promoting health and safety within the food service industry.

The workshop brought together fifty FSEs using the Bolt Food platform to educate them on the FDA’s stringent food safety regulations. This event also provided a valuable opportunity for vendors to voice their challenges and seek support in overcoming them, fostering a collaborative effort towards improving food safety practices.

In a significant step towards supporting these FSEs, Bolt Food announced that it will sponsor the FDA Food Hygiene Permit licence acquisition for 20 establishments. Additionally, Bolt Food will offer the necessary technical support to ensure these businesses meet all regulatory standards, reinforcing its dedication to maintaining high-quality service and safety.

This initiative marks a milestone in Bolt Food and FDA’s efforts to uphold and elevate food safety standards, ensuring that customers receive safe and hygienic food from their favourite establishments. It was inspiring to witness the FSEs united with a shared commitment to uphold and elevate food safety standards across Ghana. Each establishment made a pledge to maintain these high standards, reflecting a collective dedication to public health and safety.

The Regulatory and Policy Head for Africa at Bolt, Weyinmi Aghadiuno, said: “Our mission is to continually enhance food safety for everyone. This collaboration with the FDA is a key part of Bolt Food’s commitment to promoting health and safety in Ghana’s food service industry.”

“We aim to cultivate a strong partnership with the FDA and our FSEs. Our objective is to create an ecosystem where customers can trust that every order from Bolt Food comes from establishments that uphold FDA’s rigorous food safety and hygiene standards.” She added. 

Mr. Roderick Daddey-Adjei, Deputy Chief Executive, Food Division, at the FDA emphasised that, “as the

Guardians of food safety in Ghana, it is the responsibility of the FDA to ensure that every meal served, whether in a restaurant, by the streets or delivered to our homes and offices, meets the highest standards of hygiene and safety in alignment with the Public Health Act 2012. The issuance of hygiene permits is not just a formality; it brings a sense of assurance that food service establishments are adhering to Good Hygienic Practices (GHPs) upholding the principles of food safety.

Chief Regulatory Officer at the FDA, Dr. Edward Archer,  addressed the importance of regulatory compliance within the food industry. He urged all food establishments across Ghana to regularise their operations with the FDA, stressing that securing a Food Hygiene Permit is crucial for industry compliance and consumer safety.

“Operating a food business without a Food Hygiene Permit is unlawful. The FDA is ready to collaborate and ensure the safety of FSEs nationwide,” Dr. Archer stated.

The Country Manager for Bolt Food said: “this collaboration between Bolt Food and the FDA signifies a step towards ensuring the highest quality of food safety and hygiene for our customers. Together with the FDA, we look forward to bringing positive changes to the Food Delivery industry in Ghana.

 

As we prepare to host leaders for Dr. Abiola Salami International Leadership Bootcamp in Mombasa, Kenya in June 2024, we consider it important to discuss Emotional and Mental Health (EMH) in leadership this month of May. We started the month by discussing 10 Warning Signs A Leader’s Emotional & Mental Health Might Be At Great Risk. Today, we conclude the discussion with Part 2 of 10 Excuses Top Executives Give About Their Emotional & Mental Health

10 Excuses Top Executives Give About Their Emotional & Mental Health – 1

Excuse #5 – This Is Just The Way I Am

Humans are generally resistant to change even though we talk about it a lot. Many people have adjusted to their traumas and have seemingly built a coping mechanism around such nasty experiences. Seeking professional help for such traumas that have messed up their emotional and mental health for so long would mean, taking off the masks and faux personalities they have carefully built over the years and come face to face with the root of their pain. That’s too much for some top executives, they would rather continue with their lives than deconstruct those layers of alter egos and heal into their authentic selves – hence the lame excuse, “this is just the way I am”. Others are scared to find out who they could become on the other side of getting professional help; they prefer the familiar to the possible.

Excuse #6 – Everybody Does This

Another excuse bothers on the fallacy of generalization and is usually used in corporate environments where toxicity is entrenched, accepted and a staple. In essence, the ecosystem rewards such bad behaviour that there is no incentive to unlearn it. For example, many top executives don’t see bullying their colleagues from the perspective of having an emotional and mental health challenge because what bullying really speaks to is a lack of a healthy self-image or self-esteem but masked by aggressive behaviour towards others. They rather explain it away by saying that it is how people survive in a space that is akin to a shark-infested water – hence, the best form of defence is attack. Such top executives find solace in the fact that the society is seemingly indifference to their untoward behaviour; so the absence of sanctions or consequences makes them double down on their dysfunctions.

Excuse #7 – It’s Not That Bad

This excuse comes from a perspective of cognitive dissonance and intellectual dishonesty. It’s an attempt by top executives to gaslight people by downplaying the gravity of their emotional and mental health challenges. This view is prejudiced especially coming from business executives because judging by the power dynamics within an organization, they are usually high up the totem pole – which means that there are fewer voices that can challenge such people on the negative impact of their actions on others. It’s very rare to see employees on a much lower cadre, stand up to someone in top management. Even the Human Resource Manager who should be the port of call for those who seek redress are more disposed to protecting their personal interests than ensuring the right thing is down – the lack of moderating influences for top executives eventually hurts them.

Excuse #8 – I Can Handle It On My Own

This excuse bothers on self-help. Here a top executive believes that he or she can apply DIY-solutions to their emotional and mental health challenges. This excuse is underpinned by expertise in other areas of their lives especially their professional endeavours. These top managers extrapolate success in one or more areas of their lives and use such as metric for determining their ability to solve problems in other areas of their lives. In doing so, they underplay the level of skill that is used by professionals to manage emotional and mental health challenges. It takes a level of respect to acknowledge that just as you are an expert in a particular area of life, someone else is also an expert in another area of life.

Excuse #9 – I Don’t Talk About My Issues To Strangers

For top executives, they are within their rights to be concerned about how much personal information can be shared with third-parties because owing to their being at the helm of affairs, such information could be weaponized by their rivals and used for a smear campaign which could hurt the fortunes of their organization very quickly. However, a simple solution to this is the involvement of legal counsels who will adopt memorandum of understandings, non-disclosure agreements and confidentiality clauses that protects the executive. There is no guarantee that even with familiar faces, personal information would be safe – so seeking professional help for mental health challenges is certainly worth the risks.

Excuse #10 – All I Need Is God

The overly religious executives who hold extreme views about their faith don’t believe that there is anything wrong with them and to engage in therapy would be to imply that a perfect God didn’t create a perfect human. This puritan view downplays the effectiveness of intervention. Some extreme views even reject interventions such as accepting blood transfusions, taking medications, or engaging in therapy. These top executives embrace a perception of divinity that signifies that “man-made” solutions demean their spirituality. This notion is misguided because first, the very definition of human implies to be imperfect and most of the solutions to human problems were discovered by those who took time to study what God created. For example, people were inspired to create the aeroplane from studying the science of how birds fly in the sky, it only presupposes that God can use people to help other people.

Growth Opportunities

To further position your leaders for peak performance, you can download a free copy of the latest edition of The Peak Performer Magazine You can also enrol your Mid-level  Leadership Team for the Made4More Accelerator Program and your Senior Leadership Team for the Dr. Abiola Salami International Leadership Bootcamp MOMBASA 2024 We also have an upcoming training for leaders in public service 

About Dr. Abiola Salami

Dr. Abiola Salami is the Convener of Dr Abiola Salami International Leadership Bootcamp and The Peak Performer^TM. He is the Principal Performance Strategist at CHAMP – a full scale professional services firm trusted by high performing business leaders for providing Executive Coaching, Workforce Development & Advisory Services to improve performance. You can reach his team on [email protected] and connect with him @abiolachamp on all social media platforms.