By Oluwaseyi Otitoju
The Director General of the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC), Professor Nnanyelugo Ike-Muonso, has reiterated the Council’s commitment to adding value to Nigeria’s raw materials through innovative technologies that address national challenges.
Professor Ike-Muonso stated this during a courtesy visit by a delegation of researchers from the Lifewise Foundation and Oregon State University, who met with him at the RMRDC Headquarters in Abuja to discuss collaborative opportunities for advancing sustainable agriculture in Nigeria.
The delegation, led by Ayaya Gabriel, a PhD student with a passion for tackling food insecurity through technology-driven agriculture, introduced the concept of agrivoltaics—a system that combines agricultural activity with solar energy generation on the same land. Gabriel noted that agrivoltaics has the potential to revolutionize subsistence farming in Nigeria by integrating solar energy production with food cultivation, thereby improving land use efficiency, enhancing food production, and conserving vital natural resources.
“With the realities of climate change, food, energy, and water are deeply interconnected. Nigeria’s abundant solar radiation provides a powerful advantage for agrivoltaics to thrive. It’s a practical way to scale up food production while leveraging renewable energy and preserving land,” Gabriel explained.
You Might AlsoLike
The visiting team emphasized that agrivoltaics also creates an opportunity to identify Nigerian raw materials suitable for local production of solar panels, which would significantly reduce the cost of solar technology and make it accessible to smallholder farmers.
Professor Chad Higgins stated, “Agrivoltaics opens a door for Nigeria not only to adopt the technology but to own it—by producing solar panels from local resources, reducing dependence on imports, and tailoring the technology to meet the needs of Nigerian farmers.”
The researchers revealed that four major components used in the production of solar panels are abundantly available in Nigeria, making it feasible to build affordable, home-grown agrivoltaic solutions. They added that benefits of the system include food production, energy generation, and water conservation—core elements critical to sustainable development.
Also speaking during the meeting, Professor David Burnell stated that agrivoltaics presents an environmentally sound alternative to fossil fuel use and inefficient land practices. He advocated for the integration of agricultural science and technology into early education curricula to equip the next generation with a forward-thinking approach to food production.
“Agrivoltaics can help restructure agricultural education and empower young Nigerians to adopt smarter, technology-based farming systems,” Professor Burnell said.
He also noted that agrivoltaics could contribute to resolving farmer–herder conflicts by allowing livestock owners to produce high-quality pasture in controlled environments, thereby reducing the need for open grazing.
In his response, Professor Ike-Muonso acknowledged that while agrivoltaics is an extension of photovoltaic technology, its application in subsistence farming is a game-changer. He assured the delegation that the Council would adopt the project and set up a dedicated team of scientists, engineers, and technologists to drive local production of the necessary infrastructure, particularly solar panels tailored to agrivoltaic systems.
He further emphasized the importance of aligning the project with international standards and ensuring that the contributions of Nigerian researchers and technologists are protected through patent rights and intellectual property agreements.
The Director General proposed that follow-up meetings be held to formalize a partnership between RMRDC, the Lifewise Foundation, and Oregon State University, which would pave the way for pilot projects and eventual national roll-out.
