A Professor of Electronics and Control Systems Engineering at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Olubunmi Akinola, has urged governments at all levels to adopt locally developed automation and smart storage technologies to address post-harvest losses and improve food security in Nigeria. Akinola made the call while delivering the university’s 115th Inaugural Lecture, titled, “Beyond Solid-State Electronics: Driving Automation for Sustainable Development.”
According to Akinola, Nigeria currently loses between 50 and 60 per cent of its crop production to post-harvest losses, representing an estimated N14.4tn. He stated that if this amount was saved and injected into any sector of the economy, the impact would be significant. Akinola noted that the government should create an enabling environment for the local production of electronic components required for the technologies, making the systems more affordable and accessible to farmers.
Akinola’s research has produced a smart storage chamber known as HarvestHarbor, an automated system designed to preserve agricultural produce by regulating environmental conditions inside storage chambers. The technology works by developing an automated system that controls the atmosphere, reducing transpiration and respiration in stored produce while preventing microbial damage. This helps to preserve the freshness, firmness and colour of fruits, as well as prevent weight loss and other forms of deterioration.
The Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority is currently supporting the construction of four HarvestHarbor facilities across Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun states. Akinola disclosed that efforts are underway to improve the technology to accommodate a wider range of agricultural products, including yam and other tubers, rice grains and palm oil. This will enable more farmers to benefit from the technology and reduce post-harvest losses.
Akinola emphasized that university research should go beyond academic publications and produce practical solutions to societal problems. He argued that universities must not only generate knowledge but also convert it into technologies that improve lives, stimulate economic development and contribute meaningfully to national and global sustainable development goals.
The professor called for stronger collaboration among universities, agricultural research institutions and the private sector to facilitate the commercialisation and mass production of locally developed technologies. He also recommended training for farmers, agricultural extension officers and agro-processing stakeholders in the operation and maintenance of smart storage systems to ensure effective adoption and sustainability.
Akinola urged governments at all levels to adopt the technologies, particularly those that affect sustainable development and food security. He stressed that an enabling environment should be created to allow for the production of electronic materials, making the technologies more affordable and accessible to local farmers. The adoption of these technologies, Akinola believes, will help boost food sufficiency in Nigeria.
Key points
- Nigeria loses N14.4tn to post-harvest losses annually.
- Akinola has developed a smart storage chamber called HarvestHarbor.
- The technology has the potential to preserve up to 98-99 per cent of agricultural produce.
