Nigeria must strengthen its support for home-grown technology and use indigenous innovation as a strategic tool to move the country from a consumption-driven economy to one based on production, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth, a Professor of Electronic and Control Systems Engineering at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Olubunmi Akinola, has said.
Akinola made the call on September 30, 2026, while delivering FUNAAB’s 115th Inaugural Lecture, titled “Beyond Solid-State Electronics: Driving Automation for Sustainable Development,” at the Prof. Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building.
The professor, who is from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering, said the Nigerian Government needed to demonstrate stronger political will in promoting locally developed technology as part of a broader strategy for national development.
He argued that Nigeria could not achieve meaningful industrial transformation by remaining heavily dependent on imported technologies while locally developed solutions remained under-supported.
ValidViewNetwork reports that Akinola’s central argument was that Nigeria needs to take greater ownership of its technological development by creating policies and support systems that allow innovations developed by Nigerians to move from research laboratories into the marketplace.
FROM RESEARCH LABORATORIES TO THE MARKETPLACE
Akinola called for an indigenous technology policy capable of encouraging local manufacturing, strengthening industrial capacity and creating an environment where Nigerian innovations could be developed, commercialised and deployed at scale.
According to him, locally developed technologies can address some of the country’s critical challenges while creating opportunities for economic diversification and industrial growth.
He also stressed that the impact of engineering research should not end with academic publications.
Rather, he said research should produce practical, affordable and scalable solutions that can respond to real problems facing Nigerians.
The inaugural lecturer used his own research and innovations to demonstrate the possible impact of engineering beyond the classroom and laboratory.
HARVESTHARBOR AND SMART AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY
Among the innovations highlighted by Akinola was HarvestHarbor, a patented smart storage technology designed to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables and reduce post-harvest losses.
The technology formed part of the professor’s broader argument that engineering and automation could be applied directly to some of the challenges affecting Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
He also showcased an electronic pest-repellent system developed to minimise losses caused by birds in rice and fish farming.
The innovation is aimed at reducing losses suffered by farmers while demonstrating how electronic systems can be adapted to agricultural production.
Akinola called for greater adoption of automation, sensors and microcontroller-based systems in agriculture to support precision and digital farming.
He also stressed the need to train farmers, Extension Officers and agro-processing stakeholders on the effective use and maintenance of smart agricultural technologies.
ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS BEYOND AGRICULTURE
The professor said the application of engineering research should not be restricted to agriculture. He highlighted microcontroller-based technologies developed for home security and fingerprint access-control systems, alongside research involving medical image processing and the analysis of Tuberculin Skin Test induration.
According to him, the work demonstrates the capacity of engineering to contribute to healthcare, security and other areas of societal need.
On security, Akinola advocated the gradual adoption of intelligent access-control systems incorporating biometric authentication, real-time monitoring and remote alerts. He said such systems could strengthen access management, improve security and provide reliable records of activities around sensitive facilities.
UNIVERSITIES, INDUSTRY MUST WORK TOGETHER
Akinola also called for stronger collaboration among universities, research institutions and industry. He said locally developed technologies needed adequate support for commercialisation, mass production and deployment instead of remaining confined to university laboratories.
The professor argued that the gap between academic research and commercial application must be reduced if Nigeria is to benefit fully from the resources committed to scientific and engineering research.
He further advocated multidisciplinary collaboration among Engineers, Agricultural Scientists and Information Technology experts.
Such collaboration, he said, could produce more impactful solutions by bringing together different areas of expertise around common national challenges.
ValidViewNetwork reports that the professor also identified capacity building as an important part of technology adoption, particularly in agriculture, where farmers and other users need the knowledge required to operate and maintain smart technologies effectively.
VC: RESEARCH MUST IMPROVE PEOPLE’S LIVES
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of FUNAAB, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Olusegun Idowu, described the lecture as the second inaugural lecture from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and the 13th from the College of Engineering.
Kehinde noted that the research presented by Akinola demonstrated the importance of translating engineering knowledge into practical solutions.
He identified areas including post-harvest management, automation, pest control, security and healthcare as examples of where university research could have direct societal impact.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed that the value of university research extends beyond knowledge generation. He urged greater emphasis on converting research outcomes into practical solutions capable of improving lives, creating economic opportunities and advancing sustainable development.
The university’s position reinforces the argument that research institutions must increasingly connect academic work with industry, government and communities if innovations are to achieve wider impact.
THE DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Akinola’s lecture brought together technology, agriculture, industrialisation, security and healthcare under a common development argument: that engineering research should translate into solutions that Nigerians can actually use.
The innovations presented, including HarvestHarbor, the electronic pest-repellent system, access-control technologies and medical image-processing research, illustrate different ways engineering can be applied to practical national challenges.
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ValidViewNetwork reports that the lecture ultimately placed the responsibility for turning indigenous research into usable technology on a wider ecosystem involving government, universities, industries, researchers and end users.
For Nigeria, the challenge extends beyond producing innovative ideas. It also involves creating the policies, funding structures, industrial partnerships, skills and markets required to take those ideas from the laboratory to large-scale use.
That connection between invention and deployment could determine whether university research remains primarily academic or becomes a practical driver of productivity, jobs, industrial growth and sustainable development.
SDGsSDG 2: Zero Hunger
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals