News

OUR CORE AIM IS TO MAKE AGRICULTURE CONVENIENT BY USING IT TOOLS – AFRIMASH CEO

Tell us about Afrimash as an organisation?

We are an eCommerce platform based in Ibadan, Oyo state. We basically connect farmers with quality kits and products. What we do is basically connect farmers to good agricultural inputs. We deliver nationwide. We started in 2016 and we are about 4 years now. We can be said to be an eCommerce platform that is agricultural oriented where farmers can get tools, inputs and other agricultural inputs. Our core aim is to make agriculture convenient. We are a very valuable, sustainable, and profitable organization that provides premium value to customers via the contribution of a talented workforce who enjoy providing quality service to customers. We work with a set of very important core values that guide every action we take. We pay close attention to    Prioritization, Excellence, Speed and Integrity

Majority of farmers are said not to be vast in IT, how do you go about this as an eCommerce platform?

What people think about eCommerce is that it makes buying and selling seamless and easier for people and they are right. We know that this (Ecommerce) has to do with access to internet. One thing that eCommerce does is that it makes it easy for suppliers and buyers to meet but in agriculture it is a different ball game, we are talking about life products like day old chicks etc. Access to quality inputs is one of the biggest challenges that a farmer faces in Nigerian and Africa. We are here to bridge that gap. Today, a lot of farmers have access to internet and we have broadband deployment that is spread out so we are leveraging on these communication infrastructures such as widespread availability of internet and broadband technology. Though apart from internet access we developed a hybrid system that makes it easy for farmers to buy even without internet. We have dedicated shopping assistants that farmers are able to call. We have solved these problems is difficulty of accessing inputs.

How secured is Afrimash platform?

We are very secured and eCommerce have come of age in Nigeria. We have partnership with firms like Paystack that ensure top-notch security and some other organisation. There is adequate security for every transaction that goes on in our platform. We have top-notch encryption in the platform. This security is layered and we always improve on security of our platform. We have not had issues with security.

How has the market accepted this?

Well, when we started over the years, a lot of pessimist said that farmers are not online, but trust me, we have come to realise that this is wrong. With high repeat customers and a lot of our customers come through referral. We have a lot of referrals and they always send others to come back because we mase shopping easier for them and we ensure that we have quality products that we deliver to these farmers. So, the market or the farmers have come to accept us over the years for what we stand for which is quality and effectiveness.

We also provide training and advisory services and we encourage farmers to come for these training. We have other levels of supports such as introducing farmers to consultants and we ensure that we have a lot of professionals that interface with the farmer.

How do you handle logistic challenges?

Well as an eCommerce platform, logistics have always been a huge challenge in Nigeria and in Africa. Though, we have partnered with a lot of logistic firms and this has made it convenient for farmers.  In agriculture logistic is a bigger challenge but we have circumvented this challenge. We have learnt that we can’t do it on our ow so we partnered and outsourced the logistic arm of our business. We just want our farmers to be happy.

Support system has always been a teething problem for eCommerce in Nigeria. How do you handle it?

Yeah, we are particular about support, in agriculture support is important because we are dealing with tools and livestock. Before a farmer buys from us, he speaks to shopping assistant and these shopping assistants advise farmers before they even buy, that is the first step. We also provide training and advisory services and we encourage farmers to come for these training. We have other levels of supports such as introducing farmers to consultants and we ensure that we have a lot of professionals that interface with the farmer. These professional work like the extension workers and they help to boost the farmers’ productivity. We do not play with advisory services this is from before they buy and after they buy.

Advisory and consultancy can be said to be your value-added service. How do you engage these farmers?

You know that agriculture is highly specialised space, take for instance you buy a layer or chick, we advise the farmers the immunisation schedule etc.  Equipment that have manuals, we ensure that we walk through the farmer and make him understand what the invoice says and manufacturers requirement.  We also advise farmers on access to premium markets.

What kind of partnership are you looking at with the government, are you open to that?

We are very open to partnership especially with the government and we are of the opinion and we are focused to making agriculture convenient. We want to use technology to achieve this, in the next 20 years there might be high demand for food in the world and every partnership that we can go into that will make agriculture convenient is welcomed. We are very open to partnership with government organisations, states, training institutions, financiers and development organisations. We want to partner with them in providing quality services to these farmers in order to deepen food security in the country.

Agriculture equipment are very expensive, how can small scale farmer get these inputs

We looked at this from many perspectives. We are a platform that makes suppliers to reach out to farmers. Years ago, we were selling incubators of four thousand, five thousand capacity but the market wasn’t ready for this, the market was demanding of incubators between ninety chicks to two hundred. We have to reach out to the manufactures of these incubators and make them understand this is the market demand and in such a way, we have made farmers buy within their capacity. We also have partnership with microfinance banks.  If farmers can access funds from government and pay back over a period of time. We also work with cooperative where financier partners can work with the cooperatives and these are the areas, we cushion the paucity of funds from the farmers.

Why is Afrimash different from other eCommerce platform?

We are building an eCommerce platform that is designed and customized for farmers. We have a focus on farmers and we are mission and vision driven, this separates us. We are also an online market place that provide guarantee for people that buy from us. We have a robust buyer protection policy. We are not like other eCommerce platform that just dumps products on customers. If you buy from us you can be sure that you are buying from trusted source.

How has Covid 19 affected your company and what are we to expect from you next year?

It has been an unusual year; we have to take drastic measures. We are lucky we have a passionate team that align with the vision of the company. We had to work remotely, the Covid 19 disrupted office work, though we adopted but the supply chain was affected. The suppliers couldn’t open up shops due to lockdown but we tried to find a way around this. Though, Covid 19 brought digital acceleration and we experienced increase in numbers of people that want to shop and sell online.  There was tremendous increase in these areas and we responded to this also. We are looking at 2021 in a positive light, we have over 20,000 farmers presently, next year we want to make sure that we provide a lot more items for farmers. Our second focus is that we are seeking for partnership that would make agriculture convenient, farmers need financing and these are the partnership we are seeking out for, we know these farmers and we hope that partners will key into this. we believe that our service delivery would be top-notch.

If you are to advise government on food security, what will you tell government?

Well, I would take it from two aspect, Nigerian agricultural space is dominated by smallholders’ farmers about eighty percent unlike in developed nation which is opposite.  If the government want to increase the food production, government must channel support programmes to these people. An average farmer needs four things such as training, funding, access to market and extension services and government has to provide these. The other leg of it is that, having been in this input supply, input suppliers need funding, we have manufacturers in Nigeria and they need funding for input suppliers to enable them mass produce at a very cheaper rate.

It has been an unusual year; we have to take drastic measures. We are lucky we have a passionate team that align with the vision of the company. We had to work remotely, the Covid 19 disrupted office work, though we adopted but the supply chain was affected. The suppliers couldn’t open up shops due to lockdown but we tried to find a way around this.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.

You may also like

Business Culture Economy

Sanâa Kiadi Reflects on Participation in IOM Workshop on Migration Data in Rabat, Morocco

post-image

Sanâa Kiadi, a distinguished Global Strategist and International Executive, recently had the honor of representing the African Migration Observatory (AMO) at the Sub-Regional Workshop on Migration Data and Research, which took place on October 16th and 17th in Rabat, Morocco. This significant event was organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Government of Morocco, bringing together key stakeholders dedicated to advancing the understanding of migration dynamics in the region.

During her participation, Kiadi presented AMO’s mission, which is focused on enhancing migration data collection and analysis across Africa. Her presentation underscored the importance of establishing robust data systems that inform evidence-based migration policies. “Accurate and comprehensive migration data is essential for shaping policies that address…

Read More
Business Economy Energy Environment Government

Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara Shuts Down NNPC and Oil Companies, Proclaims “No Allocation for Rivers State, No Oil for Nigeria”

post-image

In a bold and unprecedented move, Rivers State Governor Sim Fubara has ordered the shutdown of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and all oil companies operating in the state. His declaration, “No allocation for Rivers State, no oil for Nigeria,” reflects a deep frustration over what he perceives as the unfair distribution of oil revenues.

This decisive action has sent ripples through the nation, resulting in Nigeria’s global oil production ranking plummeting from 4th to 24th almost immediately. Governor Fubara’s stance not only puts the spotlight on the importance of Rivers State to Nigeria’s oil supply but also raises questions about the broader implications for the economy and energy sector.

In a heartfelt challenge to influential leaders, including Minister Nyesom…

Read More
Business Economy News Opinion

The business case for automating customer due diligence and FICA compliance

post-image

By Sameer Kumandan, MD of SearchWorks

 

Automation has been labelled as a way to tighten up the corners, without cutting them. An apt description, it’s all about using technologies to up productivity, boost efficiency, reduce errors and save businesses a lot of time without having to make any sacrifices when it comes to quality or performance.

 

Customer Due Diligence (CDD) plays a critical role in mitigating financial crime risks by helping businesses establish that their customers are not involved in illegal activities and that they are who they say they are. In addition, CDD is essential to ensure compliance with South Africa’s Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA). And it’s not a one-time activity. Ongoing monitoring is vital to keep close tabs on how a customer’s circumstances and activities change over time. This is important, because risks evolve over time and because of the rise of what

Read More
Business Culture Economy Health

The Heart of Moppet Foods: How Loyal Customers Like Marian Are Building a Nigerian Brand Together

post-image

 

When Roberta Edu launched Moppet Foods, a locally-produced baby food brand, she hoped parents across Nigeria would find value in a nutritious, homegrown option for their babies. But what she didn’t expect was the level of passion and loyalty she’d see from her customers—people who believe in her brand so deeply that they’ve become its unofficial guardians.

Recently, Edu shared a story about one of her most devoted customers, Marian, who lives in Akoka and buys Moppet baby food from the Justrite store in Bariga. Marian’s dedication goes far beyond simply picking up a carton of baby food; she’s become almost a part of the Moppet team. “The way she looks out for us—it’s something I can’t even describe,” Edu said.

Marian has taken it upon herself to monitor Moppet’s stock levels at the store, as if the brand were her own. Every time she’s at Justrite, she’ll check the shelves,…

Read More
Announcements Business Culture Economy

Umo Eno: Akwa Ibom Embarks on 18-Storey Ibom Towers Project in Lagos to Drive Economic Diversification

post-image

 

Akwa Ibom State has launched a notable development initiative outside its borders, breaking ground on an 18-story building, the Ibom Towers, in Lagos. The project has stirred discussions around its location, with some questioning why the state would invest in infrastructure outside Akwa Ibom. Governor Umo Eno clarified the motivation behind the decision, describing it as a strategic move aimed at diversifying Akwa Ibom’s economy and establishing new revenue sources.

Speaking at the groundbreaking event, Governor Eno stated, “Today, as part of our efforts to diversify Akwa Ibom’s economy, we marked the groundbreaking of the 18-story Ibom Towers in Lagos. This project, expected to be completed in 24 months, will drive substantial revenue growth and economic ties between Akwa Ibom and Lagos States.”

The governor extended gratitude to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who led the ceremony, as well as to former Akwa Ibom Governors Udom Emmanuel, CON, and Obong Victor…

Read More
Business Economy Education Gadgets Government Technology Technology Trends Telecoms

NITDA Fosters Indigenous Technology Production and Digital Literacy in Nigeria

post-image

 

In a strategic initiative to promote indigenous technology production and enhance digital literacy across Nigeria, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), welcomed a delegation from the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and Imose Technologies Limited at the agency’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.

During this meeting, the team presented locally produced laptops and tablets manufactured by Imose Technologies in partnership with NASENI. This collaboration aims to ensure the availability of affordable digital devices for Nigerians, aligning with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s priority areas of accelerating diversification through industrialization, digitization, creative arts, manufacturing, and innovation.May be an image of 7 people and text

Furthermore, Director General Abdullahi met with the management team of Strengths Africa to discuss collaborative strategies aimed at advancing capacity building within NITDA. This partnership seeks to enhance the skills,…

Read More
Art Business Culture Economy

Voices of a new generation: looking at how young Nigerians make use of the media and internet on Youth Day

post-image

 

Many countries worldwide celebrate Youth Day in some form or another. However, this day is observed in Nigeria on November 1, highlighting the country’s youth population.

As a tribute to tomorrow’s leaders, this annual salute to the youth aims to highlight the challenges faced by the youth and find potential solutions for these issues. According to a paper published by Cambridge University Press, young Nigerians have to navigate numerous problems, including unemployment, poverty, and a lack of access to education.¹

At Aleph Group, we believe quality education is essential for equipping young Africans with the skills they need to enter the global workforce. This includes practical training in suitable industries and technology, said Stanislaus Martins, Aleph’s Managing Director for West Africa.

To that end, Nigerian youth have embraced technology with open arms. A recent study by Aleph…

Read More
Business

Datacentrix graduates singled out as only Southern Hemisphere winners in IBM watsonx Generative AI Challenge

post-image

 

Datacentrix, a leading provider of high performing and secure ICT solutions, is proud to announce the outstanding achievements of two graduate teams. The two teams entered the recent IBM watsonx Generative AI Challenge and achieved first and third place in the watsonx AI Assistant Challenge track.

The aim of the interactive, hands-on competition was to allow participants to transcend theoretical generative AI concepts and create practical, AI-infused solutions for real-world customer use cases.

Competing against teams from 44 different countries across the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region, Datacentrix’s X-men group, composed of graduates from Cape Town and Johannesburg, secured first place, while the Quadbots, hailing from Durban, earned third place, marking a significant milestone for Datacentrix as the only winning teams from the Southern Hemisphere across the entire competition.

The IBM watsonx Generative AI Challenge focused on three key trials: using prompt engineering to analyse customer experience with watsonx.ai; automating…

Read More