The European Union (EU) Commission and the Gallery of Code, have unveiled the S+T+ARTS4AFRICA Programme, an art-driven initiative that will create opportunities for African artists to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to proffer solutions.
Mr Oscar Ekponimo, the Managing Director of Gallery of Code, a research, development, and consulting agency disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja.
According to him, the programme, a science, technology, and arts-driven initiative, is a dedicated version of STARTS for Africa, an EU-led intervention with the Gallery of Code serving as the umbrella body for the initiative in Nigeria.
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“STARTS was initiated in 2016 but now there is a dedicated version for Africa.
“This is the first phase and the first time this is coming up in Africa and a Nigerian has been selected from among 300 applicants.
“Jibril Baba,na visual artist, has just been awarded a grant that will support his project – a smart technology (model) that will address food storage challenges and boost food production as well as curb rising food insecurity gaps in Nigeria .
“Prior to selection, every host institution was meant to come up with crafting a challenge and we were to focus on food and water in Nigeria.
Ekponimo stated that EU is pushing innovations, with an artistic perspective because innovation is more practical and impactful when it is artistically driven.
“Out of more than 300 applications from all over Africa, Jibrin was selected and supported by the EU to implement a model yam barn that will use AI to check and monitor the change in climate conditions and also monitor the air quality around the yam, as well as monitor the product for spoilage.
“This will automatically control food wastage and address food insecurity.
“This will be the first of its kind but the project is still at the take-off stage,
“We have just finished the reflection stage and going further to the actualisation stage and I am happy to say that there will be a final exhibition in Nigeria and Jibrin has also been selected to exhibit an a festival that will hold in Austria from Sept. 4 to Sept 8.” he added.
Dr Femi Adeluyi, the National Co-ordinator, National Talent Export Programme (NATEP), a new initiate of the Federal Government, said the project “is in full alignment with what President Bola Tinubu wants to achieve by investing in talent (creative industry).
“This is a really good model which can be further enhanced and made elaborate.
“Today it’s yams we are focusing on; tomorrow it could be something else and we can leverage on this one.
“We want opportunities where our artists can showcase our skills and products abroad and then benefit from such investments.
“This can enhance our socio-economic strength and it shows we have a lot of value that we can bring to the table.
“This is something that will be adapted and expanded in other countries as well and it will enhance our cooperation with so many other countries who will want to replicate and adapt this initiative in their countries to curb food insecurity.
“We are looking forward to collaborating with Gallery of Code and our artist, Jibrin on this great initiative.” he added.
Speaking on the initiative, the visual artist, a beneficiary of the S+T+ARTS4AFRICA Programme grant, said the core of the project was inspired by “our traditional past models of how we used to cool water in gourds and looking into more technologically advanced methods of making them work better.
*It is a prototype yam barn, a modular storage system where the yams will be slotted in using an array of sensors that can check the climate conditions, air quality and equally shield the yams from too much sunlight .
“During our preliminary research we visited different states in the Northeastern part of the country and discovered that out of 1,500 yam tubers harvested, 600 are lost due to lack of a good storage system.”
According to him, the production of the yam barn can help reduce wastage due spoilage, hence increase productivity and strengthen the chances of ensuring food security in Nigeria significantly.
“During crisis, a storage system like this can be worthwhile,” he added.
Patricia Carvalho, a partner in the project based in Portugal, said via webinar that it would be very intriguing to get to the core of what artists can achieve in promoting food security and availability of clean water using science and technology tools such as AI.
She applauded the initiative and re-affirmed support for the S+T+ARTS4AFRICA Programme.
