Nigerian farmer Samson Ogbole cultivates crops in the air.
In Nigeria, a nation of more than 200 million people, Samson Ogbole has created a method to solve the land scarcity problem for soil-based farming.
According to the US International Trade Administration, just 30 million hectares of farmland are farmed annually, which is far less than the projected 78.5 million hectares needed to maintain food production.
Ogbole intends to use aeroponics, a technique for growing crops in midair, as an unusual agricultural solution to address this.
His journey into soilless farming began in 2014, and by 2016.
Ogbole told CNN that with soil-free farming, crops can be cultivated “any time of the year”.
By embracing this approach, he is promoting urban agriculture, enabling food to be grown within cities.
Additionally, soilless farming eradicates soil-borne pathogens that typically harm crops.
With only 46% of Nigerian soil considered fertile, Ogbole believes the nation must move toward self-sufficiency in food production.
“We’re bringing in technology into agriculture so that the youth can actually see this as a viable option,” he explained.
Ogbole served as a Research Supervisor at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Oyo State. Additionally, he has contributed to the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project at IITA.
Samson Ogbole has developed a technique to address the issue of shortage of land for soil-based farming in Nigeria, a country with population of over N200 million.
Each year, only 30 million hectares of farmland are cultivated—far less than the estimated 78.5 million hectares required to sustain food production, according to the US International Trade Administration.
Ogbole hopes to address this using an unconventional agricultural approach: aeroponics — a method of growing crops in midair.
His journey into soilless farming began in 2014, and by 2016.
Ogbole told CNN that with soil-free farming, crops can be cultivated “any time of the year”.
By embracing this approach, he is promoting urban agriculture, enabling food to be grown within cities.
Additionally, soilless farming eradicates soil-borne pathogens that typically harm crops.
With only 46% of Nigerian soil considered fertile, Ogbole believes the nation must move toward self-sufficiency in food production.
“We’re bringing in technology into agriculture so that the youth can actually see this as a viable option,” he explained.
Ogbole served as a Research Supervisor at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan, Oyo State. Additionally, he has contributed to the Yam Improvement for Income and Food Security in West Africa (YIIFSWA) project at IITA
He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from Igbinedion University, Okada, where he graduated as the top student in the Faculty of Health Sciences. He also holds a certification in Biotechnology from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, an MBA from the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), and a master’s degree in Biochemistry—specialising in Drug Metabolism and Toxicology—from the University of Ibadan.
Beyond these accomplishments, Samson Ogbole has obtained multiple certifications from prestigious institutions, including Lund University, the University of Manchester, and the University of Western Australia. His expertise spans Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture, Development Economics and Population Health.
Currently, Ogbole is the Team Lead at Eupepsia Place Limited (Soilless Farm Lab), providing free training for young people aged 18 to 29, 1000 youths every 0quarter with free accommodation and monthly stipend.
