YABATECH WINS €117,000 EU GRANT FOR AQUAPONICS

YABATECH WINS €117,000 EU GRANT FOR AQUAPONICS

• By Admin
• COLLEGE
• Aug 29, 2025 05:19 pm

Yaba College of Technology has recorded another major breakthrough in research and innovation after securing a grant of one hundred and seventeen thousand euros, equivalent to over two hundred million naira, from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme.

The Project aimed at advancing food security through the development of a solar powered aquaponics system that integrates catfish production with vegetable and maize farming in Lagos.

The project titled Integrated Aquaponics System for Sustainable Catfish Production and Dual Crop Cultivation of Leafy Vegetables and Corn (AQUACLEC) is championed by the College Director,  Research Support and Grants Management  (CRSGM), Dr Funmilayo Doherty, in collaboration with the Yabatech Agric Cooperative Society.

 According to Dr. Funmilayo Doherty,  the lead researcher, it is to pilot a solar powered aquaponics system that combines catfish farming with vegetable and maize cultivation.

She stated that the initiative will establish a Local Innovation Hub in Lagos to test, adapt and eventually replicate the system, while creating pathways for sustainable agriculture and community based food resilience.

According to her, the participants will form the first group to engage with the pilot scheme, which is expected to demonstrate how renewable energy and integrated farming can reduce costs, boost productivity and strengthen household nutrition.

Technical expertise is also being provided by researchers from the University of Lagos, the University of Turku in Finland and the University of Lapland in Finland; she added.

She disclosed that the success of the initiative reflects Yabatech’s consistent drive to align research with pressing national and global challenges under the leadership of the Rector, Dr Engr Ibraheem Adedotun Abdul.

 The College, she averred,  has steadily built a reputation for projects that combine technical education with practical solutions for society.

The present administration of the college  has consistently  supported research proposals and international collaborations that extend beyond the classroom, reinforcing Yabatech’s image as a hub of innovation and social impact, she stated.

Dr Doherty added that the new aquaponics initiative is designed not just as a one off project but as a replicable model that can be scaled across communities in Nigeria and West Africa.

She emphasised that the College’s pool of more than two hundred PhD qualified lecturers gives it the capacity to sustain and expand such projects through rigorous research, training and policy engagement.

This milestone comes shortly after another significant win for the College under the National Youth Employment Skills Acquisition Framework (NYESAF). Supported by the World Bank, the NYESAF grant provides funding for Yabatech to train two hundred young Nigerians in digital and creative media skills.

The NYESAF initiative also complements Yabatech’s broader mission of empowering young Nigerians to thrive in a digital first world. By linking creativity with technology, the programme prepares beneficiaries to compete globally while addressing local unemployment challenges. The College’s Work and Study model combined with NYESAF opportunities demonstrates a holistic approach to youth empowerment that balances academic knowledge, vocational expertise and entrepreneurial drive.

Together, the European Union grant and the NYESAF programme highlight the College’s dual role as a centre of academic excellence and a driver of national development.

These achievements build on past and ongoing efforts to bridge the gap between technical education and real world needs, preparing Nigerian youth to compete in both local and global spaces.

Other members of the AQUACLEC team include 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. They are working in collaboration with Dr Idowu Aneyo from the University of Lagos, Dr Moammar Dayoub from the University of Turku in Finland and Dr Dele Raheem from the University of Lapland in Finland.

 

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