In Malawi, small-scale farmers devastated by climate disasters are being helped to recover thanks to a novel artificial intelligence tool called Ulangizi. This generative AI chatbot runs on WhatsApp and offers agricultural advice in both English and Chichewa, even enabling non-literate farmers or those without smartphones to get help via audio, images, or voice messages. After Cyclone Freddy destroyed months of work, farmers like Alex Maere shifted to crops like potatoes based on Ulangizi’s recommendations—and were able to make enough to rebuild livelihoods.

Ulangizi is supported by Opportunity International and aligned with Malawi’s agricultural ministry guidelines. It helps with pest management, planting methods, fertilization, soil care, and animal husbandry. Farmers support agents (“human in the loop”) facilitate access where devices or connectivity are lacking.

---

What This Means for Nigeria: Adapting AI Farming

Nigeria has already made strides in AI agriculture; local innovations show promise:

• AgriConnect Initiative (Ogun State): Over 1,000 farmers were provided with smart, data-enabled devices and tools powered by AI (in partnership with Huawei and MTN), giving them real-time agronomic services, weather forecasts, market insights, and risk mitigation tools.
• Green Eden (Jos): Farmers using soil and climate monitoring tools backed by AI have seen about 20% yield increases in pepper production.
• Satellite & Geospatial AI tools: Projects converting satellite imagery into actionable insights—monitoring moisture, detecting pests or crop stress—are emerging.

These examples suggest Nigeria is well-placed to benefit from a Ulangizi-style model, especially in rural and under-served communities.

---

Challenges & Opportunities in Nigeria

While Ulangizi works well in Malawi’s context, Nigeria faces both similar and unique obstacles:

Challenges:

• Digital Access/Gaps: Many rural farmers lack consistent internet, smartphones, or even electricity. Audio/voice tools may be more helpful than text or image-based ones.
• Language & Literacy Barriers: Nigeria is linguistically diverse, with many communities preferring native languages or dialects. AI tools must be localized.
• Trust & Accuracy: Bad advice or “AI hallucinations” (wrong diagnoses of disease, wrong crop recommendations) can cost livelihoods, so quality, oversight, and alignment with extension services are critical.

Opportunities:

• Policy & Government Partnerships: Just as Malawi aligned Ulangizi with its Agriculture Ministry, Nigerian agencies could partner with startups to ensure vetted, reliable AI advice.
• Scale via Mobile & USSD/Voice: Because many rural Nigerians lack smartphones, AI via simple mobile phones (SMS, voice IVR) could reach more people.
• Agritech Startups: There is growing momentum of agritech in Nigeria—AI tools for yield forecasting, satellite data, livestock monitoring—that can be integrated into farmer-centred advisory services.

---

Conclusion & Opinions

Malawi’s experience with Ulangizi shows that AI farming tools designed with accessibility and context in mind can have transformative impact: restoring income, food security, and hope for climate-hit farmers. For Nigeria, “AI farming in Nigeria” is not just a catchy phrase—it’s a strategy: combining home-grown tech, government support, and inclusive design to ensure that even the most remote farmers benefit.

If Nigeria can adapt tools like Ulangizi—accounting for its scale, linguistic diversity, connectivity gaps—it could close many of its agricultural productivity and food security gaps. With over 80% of the workforce involved in farming, even modest improvements via AI advisory services could ripple out to affect millions. The key will be fidelity (accuracy), reach (access), and trust.

Earlybean: Shaping Africa’s Future by Teaching Kids Financial Literacy