Mercy Diebiru-Ojo, a 44-year-old Nigerian agronomist, has recently been featured across various news outlets after receiving the highly competitive Africa Food Prize. This award is a testament to her pioneering research on yams and cassava, important food staples found throughout the continent. Diebiru-Ojo is an entomologist with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan. They’re truly passionate about increasing the yield of their crops by a phenomenal 500%. Her innovative approach is focused on creating development pathways for hungry Nigerians and raising Nigeria’s profile in the global agricultural value chain.
Diebiru-Ojo’s research interest is in applying semi-autotrophic hydroponics (SAH) in greenhouse environments. She created this technique in collaboration with the US agro-research company Sahtechno. It’s a game-changing combination that massively increases farm yields. You could harvest 30 tonnes of yams and cassava per hectare instead of the five tonnes possible through traditional techniques. Specifically, she hopes to strengthen local food systems and increase food security in the communities she works in. Moreover, she wants to turn Nigeria from merely producing food to becoming a leading processor and exporter of food items.
Transforming Agricultural Practices
Diebiru-Ojo’s research addresses both the challenges of food insecurity and the urgent need for enhanced processing capabilities within Nigeria’s agricultural sector. She is a firm believer that through the local food transformation genuinely progressive and sustainable economic growth can take root. By encouraging higher yields, she hopes to position Nigeria as a global center for food production and processing.
Her inventive approaches to hydroponics can be applied even where space is at a premium. “Even a tiny area, perhaps a yard—I mean, you can grow a huge amount,” she explains. Urban residents as well as small and medium-scale farmers would be essential to increasing food production. This significant contribution would have a transformational impact on food security nationwide.
Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s Vice President, highlighted the importance of cassava in the country’s agricultural strategy. He continued, “Cassava is one of the most strategic assets in our agricultural portfolio.” The federal government has understood the opportunity for job creation and economic growth in this growing sector, supporting initiatives to boost production.
Aiming for a Food-Secure Africa
For Mercy Diebiru-Ojo, Nigeria is only the beginning. Her mission extends across the continent of Africa. Her statement, “Assuring a food-secure Africa, not just Nigeria,” is a pledge. By increasing crop yields and local processing, she believes that African nations can become self-sufficient in food production, reducing dependency on imports.
Her ambition speaks to a greater vision for agricultural transformation across the continent. She hopes to galvanize the next generation—especially the females of our ag industry. Diebiru-Ojo “I hope to encourage a lot of others—including women in the agricultural sector,” Diebiru-Ojo says. She works to promote female empowerment within this male-dominated field.
The Africa Food Prize goes to deserving Africans who have produced breakthroughs to help the continent feed itself. Diebiru-Ojo is the joint recipient of this honour alongside Mary Abukutsa-Onyango from Kenya. Combined, they are recognized for their extraordinary work in advancing agriculture as a key pillar of economic development.
The Future of Nigerian Agriculture
Diebiru-Ojo’s unique model has the potential to transform the future of agriculture in Nigeria and beyond. As a farmer, she finds ways to modernize approaches such as bringing in techniques like hydroponics. Her desire is to connect the growers with the processors. This change would create more job opportunities and economic growth inside rural communities.
From the field to the policy landscape, the ramifications of her work go far beyond just growing food. With improved yields and better processing techniques, Nigeria has the potential to make itself a powerhouse of agricultural exports. This would benefit the local economy and production base while promoting greater regional stability and minimizing food insecurity.