csrreporters 
Agro-diagnostic company, RID LAB, has called on governments and farmers across Nigeria to embrace data-driven and science-based agricultural practices as a pathway to reducing losses, safeguarding food systems, and protecting public health.
Speaking at the All Farmers Business Meeting 2.0 in Lagos, RID LAB’s Chief Executive Officer, Femi Dairo, stressed that government must establish policies that make diagnosis a prerequisite for treatment in agriculture.
“One of the enabling policies government should create is making diagnosis before treatment the rule, not the exception,” Dairo said. “Without diagnosis, we cannot promote sustainability, protect our food systems, or secure public health.”
He noted that farm diagnostics had proven effective in cutting production losses, improving efficiency, and ensuring safer agricultural practices. He also urged regulators such as the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to tighten oversight on antibiotic use in farming, warning that misuse could worsen public health risks.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, represented by the Deputy Director of Fisheries, Olorunfemi Oniyide, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to embedding data in agricultural policy and practice.
“Farming decisions must be based on facts and figures, not guesswork,” Olusanya said. “Data helps reduce losses, increase productivity, and ensure profitability for farmers. More importantly, it protects our food systems from threats like antimicrobial resistance.”
She added that Lagos is working to develop policy frameworks that promote proper diagnosis, regulate veterinary medicine use, and strengthen farmer capacity for modern practices.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Rid Agric Ltd., Adewunmi Dairo, emphasized the economic benefits of data-based farming. “Turning data into profit captures the very heart of why we are gathered here today. For too long, farming has been driven by assumptions. The future of agriculture must be built on facts, data, and truth.”
Stakeholders at the meeting urged media, regulators, and policymakers to intensify advocacy for science-driven farming, describing it as a lifeline for food security and sustainable agribusiness in Nigeria.
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