Across the sprawling fields of Nigeria’s southwestern Ogun state, a new generation of farmers is emerging, their days beginning before the sun has even thought about rising. These aren’t the farmers of old, bent over fields with hoes and machetes. Instead, they’re young people, most under 29, with three-quarters of them women, donning safety helmets and reflective jackets, constructing net houses—greenhouses with a twist. They’re building a future in soilless farming, guided by Samson Ogbole, the founder of Soilless Farm Lab.
Ogbole’s vision is clear: “Train a man, and you feed a family. Train a woman, and you feed a generation.” He’s not just teaching them to farm; he’s building something generational. The trainees are learning the entire “vegetable value chain,” from production to distribution, all under the shade of net houses filled with rice bran and sawdust instead of soil.
Nigeria faces a stark reality. It has the second-highest number of people facing food insecurity, and the average age of its farmers is 53. Urbanization has shrunk arable land, and the country is looking to shift away from its reliance on oil. Soilless farming, with its controlled environments and multiple harvests, could be a game-changer. Last year’s record-breaking heat waves devastated many traditional farmers, but Ogbole’s trainees reported minimal impact. Their tomatoes were saved using pollinating hormones, and leafy vegetables thrived with little intervention.
Ogbole’s journey into agriculture was unexpected. As a biochemist fulfilling his national service, he was introduced to the idea of growing yams without soil. “Because I didn’t study agriculture, it didn’t seem weird,” he recalls. Now, he’s at the forefront of Nigeria’s soilless farming revolution.
The COVID-19 pandemic initially hindered his plans, but Ogbole turned to Instagram, sharing soilless farming tips. His unconventional approach gained traction, and he soon moved his training to Soilless Farm Lab’s site. His program, Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture, aims to train 12,000 young people to leverage technology for vegetable production. So far, 8,000 have completed the training, supported by the Mastercard Foundation.
The program doesn’t just teach farming; it fosters entrepreneurship. Trainees launch companies, some focusing on growing produce, others on sales, marketing, or farm management. Ogbole wants them to see agriculture as a business, a means to achieve personal goals and provide for their families.
Beyond changing lives, Ogbole is addressing Nigeria’s food insecurity. Adebowale Onafowora, founder of Bic Farms Concepts, calls Ogbole a pioneer. Outdated farming methods are no longer sufficient for a population of over 200 million, and Ogbole is dignifying the profession, making young people proud to be farmers.
Trainees like Adekemi Adeoye, an agronomy graduate, and Theophilus Williams, co-founder of Itana Farms, attest to Ogbole’s impact. They’ve found motivation in his mantra: “In agriculture, we don’t blow; we grow.” Ogbole provides them with seeds, land, and a buyer network, giving them a head start.
Shifting mindsets is tough, but Ogbole sees a positive trend. With every new cohort, more trainees choose to stay in farming. He’s showing them the truth—there will be hiccups, but there’s also opportunity. Outside the lecture hall, trainees greet him with smiles, eager for conversation. They’re not just learning to farm; they’re transforming, adopting “farmer” as a title, signaling their greener future. This is the change Ogbole is making, one net house, one trainee at a time.
