UNILAG don urges Lagos to embrace urban farming for 2026

Etim Ekpimah

Professor Olufemi Shuaib of the University of Lagos has urged the Lagos State Government to integrate city-based agriculture, strengthen monitoring and evaluation systems, and promote broader social inclusion into its 2026 development agenda.

The professor stated at the Lagos Economic Outlook 2026, a roundtable discourse, organised by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Budget, held recently at the Protea Hotel in Ikeja, with the theme “Building Forward: Unlocking Emerging Sectors for an Inclusive, Resilient, and Prosperous Lagos Economy.”

Shuaib warned during a panel session that Lagos no longer has the commercial advantage for traditional territorial agriculture and must adopt innovative methods to tackle food insecurity.

He noted that the state should embrace modern alternatives such as soil-less and hydroponic agriculture, describing them as practical solutions for a city with limited arable land.

“We need to go into city agriculture: soil-less, hydroponic farming. Lagos no longer has a commercial advantage in territorial agriculture,” he said.

He added that UNILAG has already established a Centre for Agriculture, developed a prototype of urban farming within the university, and is partnering with a firm and global organisation to run experimental farms.

According to him, new agricultural technologies now make it possible for residents “to cultivate even in their bedrooms.”

Shuaib appealed to the state’s physical planners to allocate spaces for small urban farms in addition to residential and real estate developments. He expressed concern that agricultural corridors—particularly the Ikorodu-Epe areas – have been converted into land-banking and property development zones.

“Urbanisation cannot be stopped, but agriculture must be incorporated into our urbanisation strategy,” he said.

The UNILAG professor also called for a more robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track the outcomes of government programmes, stating that although thousands of residents have benefited from Lagos’ digital and vocational training schemes, there is no systematic assessment to determine how beneficiaries have progressed.

He cited examples of former trainees excelling in technology and fashion but noted that none had been formally evaluated.

“We focus more on inputs and programmes. We do not look at products and outcomes,” he said.

Shuaib proposed the creation of local performance indices such as the Infrastructure Quality Index, Health and Education Quality Index and the Transport Quality Index to help Lagos measure its development trajectory without reliance on external agencies like the World Bank.

The professor stressed the need for social protection measures to support residents who may be left behind by rapid growth.

“Some people will fall out of the system. How do we provide a social network to guide them, so people can feel part of the growth we are celebrating?” he asked.

In his keynote address, Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Mr Ope George, reaffirmed the state government’s resolve to implement data-driven and future-focused policies as it transitions into the 2026 fiscal cycle.

“This is not just a time to build back, but to build forward, stronger, smarter, and more inclusive,” he said.

He highlighted the state’s focus on urban regeneration, the creative economy, and the Omi-Eko Revolution, which seeks to transform Lagos’s waterways into a modern, resilient, and inclusive mode of transportation.

Other panel discussants were Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Oluyinka Olumide; CEO, Chocolate City, Mr Abuchi Peter Ugwu; Professor of Geography with a specialisation in Transportation, Logistics and Spatial Planning, Prof. Samuel Iyiola Oni; and Dr Amina Olohunlana, all from the University of Lagos, UNILAG, and they appealed for shared commitment to build an economy driven by innovation, collaboration, and inclusivity.