Last Updated on October 3, 2026 by Olasunkanmi Olajide
… As FUNAAB Holds 115th Inaugural Lecture
By Olasunkanmi Olajide & Wuraola Dada
A distinguished expert in Electronic and Control Systems Engineering from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, College of Engineering (COLENG), at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Olubunmi Akinola, has called on the Nigerian Government to demonstrate stronger political will in promoting home-grown technology as a strategic pathway to move the nation from a consumption-driven economy to one anchored on production, industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
Prof. Akinola made the call today, September 30, 2026, while delivering the University’s 115th Inaugural Lecture, titled “Beyond Solid-State Electronics: Driving Automation for Sustainable Development,” held at the Prof. Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building.
Prof. Akinola stressed the need for Nigeria to take greater ownership of its technological development through an indigenous technology policy that would encourage local manufacturing, strengthen industrial capacity and create an enabling environment for Nigerian innovations to move from research laboratories to the marketplace.
According to him, locally developed technologies can address critical challenges confronting the country, while creating opportunities for economic diversification and industrial growth. He emphasised that the impact of engineering research should extend beyond academic publications to the development of practical, affordable and scalable solutions.
The 115th Inaugural Lecturer highlighted some of his research innovations, including HarvestHarbor, a patented smart storage technology designed to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables and reduce post-harvest losses. He also showcased an electronic pest-repellent system developed to minimise losses caused by birds in rice and fish farming.
Beyond agriculture, Prof. Akinola highlighted the application of microcontroller-based technologies in home security and fingerprint access-control systems, as well as research in medical image processing and the analysis of Tuberculin Skin Test induration, demonstrating the potential of engineering to contribute to healthcare and other societal needs.
To accelerate the adoption of such innovations, Prof. Akinola advocated stronger collaboration among universities, research institutions and industry, stressing the need for locally developed technologies to receive adequate support for commercialisation, mass production and deployment rather than remaining confined to university laboratories.
He also called for the training of farmers, Extension Officers and agro-processing stakeholders in the effective use and maintenance of smart agricultural technologies. He noted that greater integration of automation, sensors and microcontroller systems into agriculture would advance precision and digital farming, while multidisciplinary collaboration among Engineers, Agricultural Scientists and Information Technology experts would produce more impactful solutions.
On security, the Professor advocated the gradual adoption of intelligent access-control systems incorporating biometric authentication, real-time monitoring and remote alerts. He said such technologies could strengthen access management, improve security and provide reliable records of activities around sensitive facilities.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Olusegun Idowu, described the lecture as the second from the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and the 13th from COLENG.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the research presented by the Inaugural Lecturer demonstrated the importance of translating engineering knowledge into practical solutions in areas such as post-harvest management, automation, pest control, security and healthcare.
He stressed that the value of university research goes beyond knowledge generation, urging greater emphasis on converting research outcomes into practical solutions capable of improving lives, creating economic opportunities and advancing sustainable development.
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