Recent AI-based smart farming for monitoring and security in sub-Saharan Africa regions

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized smart farming in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in Nigeria, which still relies mostly on agriculture with conventional methods, which suffer problems such as pest infestations, erratic weather patterns, and threats to farm security, decreasing productivity. The agricultural practice continues to be an important sector in sub-Saharan African regions, especiallyWest African countries such as Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Cabo Verde, Nigeria, etc., contributing meaningfully to the economy and serving livelihoods for a large proportion of agriculturalists of the population. The emergence of AI-powered smart farming provides enabling ways to monitor and protect agricultural processes in the regions. This review paper highlights how AI-based technologies such as machine learning, computer vision, Internet of Things sensors, and drone surveillance contributed to the improvement of precision farming, crop health monitoring, and possible real-time threat detection. The study further discusses AI in farming monitoring and farming security. In addition, challenges and solutions of AI technology for smart farming were discussed. The implication of this study will ensure that the agricultural practice receives a technology-enabled framework to foster the acceleration of AI-driven capacity building, digital infrastructure investment, and legislative assistance to enable a seamless practice. The advent of smart farming can transform Africa’s agricultural sector, which can lead to resilience and economic growth variability.