Samson Ogbole Takes Agriculture Innovation To Nigeria

Growing crops in the air – Samson Ogbole Photo credit Twitter

With a merger of technology and agriculture, Samson Ogbole aims for self-sustainability to cope with the shortage of farming land in Nigeria. He introduced the method of growing crops in air to Nigerian Agriculture.

As the population grows, the land required for farming food to keep up with the growth is falling short. According to the International Trade Administration of the United States, the farmland under cultivation is 38% of the area required for food production.

Ogbole devised a farming strategy that rules out the use of soil. This will help in overcoming of food shortage for his people. This unconventional method is known as Aeroponics i.e. growing crops in the air.

Samson Ogbole Makes The Case For Growing Food In The Air

Ogbole began working with soilless farming back in 2014. He later founded PS Neutraceuticals, a company that aims for food security by implementing technology in agriculture for efficient food production. The process incorporates substitutes for soil and uses fertilizers for plant growth. According to Ogbole, one of the many advantages of this process is that “we can grow crops any time of the year.”

Without the use of soil, the pathogens residing in the soil can also be eliminated. So, this method also reduces the harm to production significantly. According to Ogbole, only 46% of the soil in Nigeria is fertile for crop growth. In an interview to CNN, he stated his belief that the “war of the future will be fought through agriculture.” Hence the role of technology in agriculture has become even more indispensable. The agricultural technology paves way for food production throughout the year independent of seasons. He intends to introduce smart sensor technologies in order to receive feedback from the production.

Ogbole always wanted to be a doctor when he was little. But now he aims to have a high level of food production for his nation, Nigeria. His goal is to eventually bring the idea forth to the world.

Ogbole is now devising campaigns that encourage the youth to take interest in agriculture since he is of the view that “people will always eat.” Food, being the prime need of life, will definitely never go out of trend.