The European Union is collaboration with the European Space Agency and Nigeria’s National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, to launch a groundbreaking satellite-powered agriculture project in Nigeria by January 2026.
Known as the Innovative Agriculture initiative, or Copernicus, the project aims to enhance food security and revolutionize farming practices across Nigeria by leveraging satellite imagery, space-based tools, and precision agriculture techniques.
The EU’s Programme Manager for Agriculture in Nigeria and West Africa, Mr. Hugh Briggs, disclosed the development in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
He said the initiative is part of a broader effort by the EU to support agricultural innovation across the African continent.
“This is a big package on how to develop agriculture through innovation. The EU has signed a contract with ESA to work directly with NASRDA due to their technical capabilities. While the project is being implemented across Africa, Nigeria is a key focus,” Briggs explained.
The EU will fund the initiative, while ESA provides the technical expertise to support NASRDA in implementing the program across Nigeria.
ESA will also train NASRDA staff and collaborate with them to roll out the project’s activities, which are designed to reach smallholder farmers in rural communities.
The project is in its final stages of development and is expected to be inaugurated either by the end of 2025 or by January 2026 at the latest.
Briggs explained that one of the key components of the project is technology transfer. Young people from local communities will be recruited and trained by NASRDA to become extension agents.
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These youths will be equipped with tools and trained in innovative agricultural practices, including soil testing, mapping, and data interpretation.
“They will learn how to read and use GPS coordinates — latitude, longitude, radius — and apply polygon mapping techniques to map farmland,” Briggs said. “They will also be taught how to determine what to plant, when to plant, and how to plant based on soil conditions and satellite data.”
Rather than working with individual farmers, the project will focus on organized cooperatives to ensure wider reach and more effective dissemination of agricultural knowledge and tools.
Additionally, NASRDA has identified seven ecological zones across Nigeria where demonstration farms will be set up as practical learning sites for local farmers.
These farms will be equipped with modern agricultural tools and will rely on satellite data for analysis and planning.
Another major element of the initiative involves the establishment of a state-of-the-art technology hub within NASRDA.
The center will serve as a national training facility equipped with modern equipment to support ongoing learning and capacity building in innovative agriculture.
Briggs concluded by affirming the EU’s commitment to helping Nigeria harness digital and space-based technologies to transform its agriculture sector and achieve long-term food security goals.
NAN
