Samuel Ogbe-The Smart Farmer Driving An Innovative Path To Eradicating Food Insecurity Through Sustainable Farming

I firmly believe young people are the key to building a resilient food system and to drive agricultural development and sustainability in Nigeria and across Africa.

Can you introduce yourself and share with us your journey into the agricultural sector

My name is Ogbe Samuel Okporubi. I’m a vegetable farmer, a consultant agronomist, a pastry chef, and a youth enthusiast. I was born and raised in Lagos State, Nigeria, and I hold a BSc in Botany from Delta State University, Abraka. I’m also an introvert who loves volleyball, scrabble, and board games. Interestingly,

I never imagined myself becoming a farmer. Back then, farming was stereotyped as a job for poor, old, or uneducated people.

I honestly believed I would never end up in agriculture. However, my love for food was always strong. I grew up watching my mother who was a caterer, always joined her in the kitchen. That’s what inspired my passion for becoming a chef.

My journey as a Nigerian vegetable farmer happened unexpectedly. In 2019, after my NYSC, I was job-hunting when I got an offer to join an agricultural company as a management trainee. The company, which sells agro-inputs, sent me to Sedfort Farm in Ogun State for technical training. That farm had one of the largest modern tomato greenhouses in the state. For about five to six months, I trained and worked there, and then I got transferred to Jos. That move changed everything. I got a flower pot and planted tomatoes for the first time on my own. Watching life grow from a single seed was mind-blowing. I eventually planted herbs like lemon balm, parsley, mint, and chives alongside habaneros and berries.

That moment when I harvested my first tomato was my aha! moment. I thought, “If I can do this on a small scale, what if I go bigger?”

Since then, I’ve worked with several farms, consulted, and gone deeper into farming.

Share with us the types of crops you currently cultivate on your farm. How do you decide what to grow, and what techniques do you use to ensure sustainability?

Currently, we cultivate both on the open field and in the greenhouse. In the greenhouse, we grow bell peppers, habaneros, purple cabbage, a bit of tomatoes, and cucumbers. We chose these crops because there’s high demand for them. especially bell peppers. Sadly, not many farmers can meet this demand due to the challenges in growing quality produce.

Bell peppers, for instance, are tricky. They’re often attacked by pests like thrips, whiteflies, spider mites, and leaf miners. To combat this and grow sustainably, we use Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Unlike conventional farming that relies heavily on chemicals, IPM is a mix of biological, physical, cultural, and minimal chemical methods.

We lean more toward biological and organic methods because they’re safer, cheaper, and better for the environment. With growing concerns about climate change and harmful substances in food, we’re intentional about producing safe, high-quality vegetables. We also apply good agronomic practices like proper land preparation and crop rotation to support long-term sustainability.

What does it mean to you to be a modern farmer? How do you incorporate innovation into your work to improve productivity and sustainability?

When people say “modern farmer,” it might mean different things to different people. To me, a modern farmer is someone who combines traditional farming knowledge with modern technologies and techniques to boost productivity and farm sustainably. As a vegetable farmer, I use methods like pruning, which helps improve fruit quality and size. A lot of farmers leave all the branches on their plants, which results in many small fruits. But with proper pruning, we get bigger, cleaner, and more market-preferred produce and it also helps us manage pests better.

Another technique is mulching, we use silver plastic mulch on the soil. This dramatically reduces the need for manual weeding by over 90% which saves time, energy, and labor costs. Farming can be very tasking, especially on a large scale, but these techniques make the work smarter and more efficient. That’s what I call “smart farming.”

Can you share some success stories from your work? How many people have you trained or inspired to begin their own farming journeys, and what impact have you seen?

One of my biggest successes is the impact I’ve made through social media and real-life engagements. I started posting my gardening journey in 2019, just for fun. I had no idea it would make me a voice in the agricultural space or that I’d become what people now call an “agricultural influencer.” Over time, I began receiving messages from people, especially young people saying my posts inspired them to start farming or rekindle dreams they had long buried. I receive at least 50 calls or messages a day from people wanting to learn more or simply sharing how my content has changed their perspective on farming. It’s incredibly fulfilling.

I’ve trained over 200 people both virtually and in real-time. Virtually, through my educational content, many have learned and started gardening or small-scale farms. In person, I’ve trained at least 35 individuals, and I’ve seen many of them start their own farms or become agronomists.

Some are growing their produce sustainably, and others are working with established farms across Nigeria. I’ve also consulted for numerous farms, and seeing their transformation is priceless. For instance, when a struggling farm you worked with starts harvesting 10, 20, even 50 baskets of peppers, that’s joy. That’s purpose. For me, it’s about solving problems, feeding communities, and contributing to Nigeria’s food security.

What are some of the obstacles you have encountered in your quest to promote sustainable agriculture in Nigeria? How have you overcome these challenges, and what lessons have you learned along the way?

The major obstacle I face trying to grow food in Nigeria is lack of passionate, honest and diligent farm workers. It is very difficult to get a young person that is passionate about farming in Nigeria. Most times, the workers lack the technical skills or are simply not passionate about the job. They end up stealing and destroying the farm.

Overcoming farming challenges in Nigeria, I had to start training and influencing sustainable agriculture among young people in Nigeria. Although, it hasn’t been easy. The government and NGOs should support this scheme financially to train enthusiastic young people on sustainable farming.

– Consult/work with medium and small scale farms. Here, I help them improve their farming techniques and promote sustainable farming practices to improve food production and build a resilient system.

– I have trained about 200 young Nigerians both virtually and physically. This has spurred many of them to commence food production, thereby boosting food security.

Godwin, one of the persons I trained on sustainable farming is working tirelessly with a farm in Abeokuta. They produce bell peppers, habanero and tomato fruits on large scale to feed our nation.

Can you discuss how you utilize technology on your farm, and what tools or methods have had the most significant impact on your farming practices?

Technology helps us grow food sustainably. We use the greenhouse system of farming. This helps us grow food year round. It helps us control temperature, humidity and pests efficiently. This has helped boost our crop productivity. Due to the high cost of fuel in Nigeria, we utilize solar technology to pump water daily. We use about 15,000 – 20,000 liters of water daily. This means we will spend an average of N100,000 on fuel weekly. Instead, we utilize solar pumps/boreholes. This has helped us reduce our cost of production significantly.

Our smart irrigation system helps us irrigate our plants optimally.

Can you talk about the role young people play in the future of agriculture in Nigeria and Africa as a whole? How can you encourage more youth to get involved in farming and sustainable practices? 

Young people are going to revolutionize our agricultural system, bringing about innovation, creativity and sustainability.

I believe our younger generation are more tech-savvy and open to adopting better technologies. This means easy adoption of agro-technologies like artificial intelligence and other smart farming technologies to increase food production and to optimize farm practices.

Young people are the key to building a resilient food system and to drive agricultural development and sustainability in Nigeria and across Africa.

I will continually inspire more youths to go into modern farming by changing the false narrative that farming is a dirty work for the poor and wretched. This I will achieve by virtually promoting the merits and benefits of modern farming.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of agriculture in Nigeria? How do you see your role evolving in the fight against food insecurity, and what message do you have for aspiring farmers in the country?

I firmly believe that using modern farming techniques, we can produce more food from less. Every household in Nigeria should have a small garden where they grow their food staples. Every area should have a community garden to foster togetherness and food security in the country.

Through sustainable farming, community training, and youth empowerment, Samuel is playing a vital role in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger, increasing local food production and making fresh, nutritious food more accessible to families across Nigeria.

In the fight against food insecurity, I see myself becoming the biggest agricultural influencer in Africa. I will help farmers have unrestricted access to modern farming inputs, build technical skills via workshops & trainings. I will also work alongside government, NGOs and input companies to promote sustainable and safe farming practices among farmers in Nigeria.

My message to aspiring farmers nationwide is to start small and start right; get the required knowledge, learn from your mistakes and most importantly, learn from the mistakes of existing farmers and embrace smart farming techniques. 

The farming trip ain’t an easy one. However, you have to be resilient, passionate, dedicated and disciplined to attain success and improve your livelihood.