Moses Uwagbale
An Agribusiness consultant, AfricanFarmer Mogaji, has launched an agricultural e-commerce platform and an online radio station, to provide smallholder farmers and investors across the value chains with timely information.
Mogaji, who is the Group Head, Agribusiness and Agro-allied Sector, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), disclosed this in a statement in Lagos.
He said that the e-commerce platform would not only provide a market for agro-commodities, but will also support users with professional services needed to boost their agribusiness ventures.
Similarly, the radio station would provide programmes on agriculture, nutrition, and climate services for farmers, investors, and other stakeholders across the various value chains so as to boost their productivity and guide their investment decisions.
“The online radio will provide daily relevant information across various value chains in the agricultural sector.
“Many agribusinesses have failed three years after establishment because of lack of adequate information.
“The e-commerce platform will provide a platform for aggregation, buying and selling and also serve as a professional platform for agripreneurs to access professional services of lawyers, certification agencies, accounting and engineers among others,” he said.
Mogaji, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, X-Ray Consulting Ltd, said both the e-commerce and radio station would help amplify and x-ray the positive things in agriculture to make it attractive to the youths.
According to him, the platform would identify investment opportunities, provide a market place to sell, and provide professional services to players in the industry.
He said that the government has been funding agriculture but the private sector’s funding is still not matching up to the resources required to drive growth in the sector.
Mogaji stated that Nigeria needed to move its focus of funding beyond the production level and should start funding other aspects of the value chains to engender adequate sustainability and growth.
During a rally march held on Feb. 12 at Marina, for the launch, he noted that: “Marina was chosen for the rally because in the early 60’s most of the banks whose headquarters were domiciled in Marina were the top funders of agriculture.
“Now, with the rally in Marina we are trying to get the attention of the financial sector back to the agricultural space again.
“We want the financial sector to start looking at funding the sector again and bring their skills on board,” he noted.
