Funmi Ogundare
Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH) has secured a major research grant of €117,000 (over ₦200 million) from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, to develop a solar-powered aquaponics system that integrates catfish production with vegetable and maize farming in Lagos
The groundbreaking project, titled ‘Integrated Aquaponics System for Sustainable Catfish Production and Dual Crop Cultivation of Leafy Vegetables and Corn (AQUACLEC)’, is led by Dr. Funmilayo Doherty, Director of the college’s Research Support and Grants Management (CRSGM), in partnership with the YABATECH Agric Cooperative Society.
Dr. Doherty in a statement, explained that the initiative will pilot an aquaponics system powered by renewable energy, combining fish farming with crop cultivation to reduce costs, boost productivity, and strengthen household nutrition.
“A local innovation hub will also be established in Lagos to test, adapt and replicate the model across communities,” she noted.
She emphasised that the project is not a one-off, but a replicable model designed for scale across Nigeria and West Africa.
Doherty added, “with over 200 PhD-qualified lecturers, YABATECH has the capacity to expand such projects through research, training, and policy engagement.”
Technical expertise for the project is being provided by researchers from the University of Lagos, University of Turku (Finland), and the University of Lapland (Finland).
Doherty added that the achievement reflects YABATECH’s commitment, under the leadership of the Rector, Dr. Ibraheem Abdul, to align research with pressing national and global challenges. She stated that the college has built a reputation for practical, society-focused innovations, consistently supported by its administration.
This milestone follows another recent success for YABATECH under the National Youth Employment Skills Acquisition Framework (NYESAF), supported by the World Bank. The NYESAF grant enables the college to train 200 young Nigerians in digital and creative media skills, complementing its broader mission of empowering youth to thrive in a digital-first economy.
The EU-funded aquaponics project and the NYESAF initiative reinforce the college’s dual role as a centre of academic excellence and a driver of national development, bridging the gap between technical education and real-world needs.
Other members of the AQUACLEC team are: 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. Collaborators also include Dr. Idowu Aneyo (University of Lagos), Dr. Moammar Dayoub (University of Turku, Finland), and Dr. Dele Raheem (University of Lapland, Finland).
