Nigeria’s oldest polytechnic, Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech), has secured a €117,000 ( N200million plus ) research grant from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme to drive agricultural innovation through a solar-powered aquaponics system.
The project, titled “Integrated Aquaponics System for Sustainable Catfish Production and Dual Crop Cultivation of Leafy Vegetables and Corn” (AQUACLEC), is designed to merge fish farming with crop cultivation in a renewable-energy-powered model. The initiative intends to strengthen Nigeria’s food security by combining catfish production with vegetable and maize farming.
Led by Dr. Funmilayo Doherty, Yabatech’s Director of Research Support and Grants Management, in collaboration with the institution’s Agricultural Cooperative Society, the project is envisioned as more than just research. It will serve as a practical training hub for students, introducing technology-driven solutions into academic programmes and preparing a new generation of graduates to shape modern agriculture.
Unlike conventional aquaponics systems that typically link fish farming with vegetables, Yabatech’s model is distinctive for pairing aquaculture with both leafy greens and maize. This innovation not only supports crop diversity but also enhances nutritional variety, offering a more holistic approach to addressing malnutrition and food insecurity.
Globally, aquaponics is being reimagined with automation and artificial intelligence for monitoring and yield optimization. While Yabatech’s AQUACLEC system does not yet embrace advanced robotics, its emphasis on renewable energy and local food production situates it within the global sustainability movement, while staying rooted in Nigeria’s unique realities of unreliable power supply and climate challenges.
Dr. Doherty stressed that with more than 200 PhD-qualified lecturers, Yabatech has the institutional capacity to sustain and expand such projects through research, training, and policy engagement. The system, she noted, would also serve as a platform for community-based resilience, where knowledge can trickle down from classrooms into local farming practices.
This achievement comes just weeks after Yabatech secured another grant under the World Bank–supported National Youth Employment Skills Acquisition Framework.
That programme focuses on training 200 Nigerian youths in digital and creative media skills, highlighting the College’s dual commitment to academic excellence and national development.
The AQUACLEC team includes Dr. Olufunke Oyebamiji, Dr. Olusola Dada, Mrs. Henrietta Badejo, Mr. Abdulwakeel Oluwatobi Atoyebi, Mr. Olufunmi Dada, Dr. Akin Olaleru, Mrs. Adeola Oke, Mr. Aguh Anthony, and Mrs. Rebecca Martin. They are joined by international collaborators Dr. Idowu Aneyo of the University of Lagos, Dr. Moammar Dayoub of the University of Turku in Finland, and Dr. Dele Raheem of the University of Lapland.
This project will invariably shape Nigeria’s response to food insecurity while setting a precedent for how innovation can be woven into everyday survival.
