As climate change threatens food security, one innovative farmer in Africa has a radical solution: stop using soil altogether. Samson Ogbole is proving that the future of African agriculture might not be in its earth, but in its air.
Known professionally as Farmer Samson, he leads Soilless Farm Lab in Nigeria, where he’s combining artificial intelligence with aeroponic farming to grow food year-round. His approach is challenging fundamental assumptions about how Africa feeds itself.
With a background in biochemistry and training from institutions including Harvard Business School and the University of Texas at Austin, Farmer Samson represents a new generation of African agricultural innovators.
His work combines soilless farming techniques with artificial intelligence to create predictable, year-round food production systems – a critical advancement for a continent where traditional farming remains heavily dependent on increasingly unpredictable seasonal rains.
“Food production should not be seasonal because hunger is not seasonal,” Farmer Samson often says. This simple yet powerful philosophy drives his mission to transform agriculture across Africa.
Through Soilless Farm Lab, he’s cultivating a movement that bridges traditional farming wisdom with cutting-edge technology, while training the next generation of African agricultural entrepreneurs.
In an exclusive interview with The Fourth Plate, Farmer Samson shares his journey and vision:
On His Personal Journey
What event or moment in your life made you realize agriculture could be the foundation for sustainable development, and how did that shape your mission?
During my youth service days at IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture), I saw what I studied was my edge in agriculture.
You’re pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry while running Soilless Farm Lab and studying AI at UT Austin. How do you manage this academic-entrepreneurial balance, and what drives you to keep learning?
Running a farm or a business is a learning journey. It is not a sacrifice of one for the other but rather both works perfectly together. Biochemistry is my edge, and in few years the body of knowledge will be revealed in my work. There is time enough for anything we choose to do.
What’s been your most challenging failure in this journey, and what did it teach you about innovation in African agriculture?
I can’t speak of any challenge as the most challenging failure as the impact of a failure depends on the strength (knowledge, structure and network) I have per time. There has been many and there will still be more, my goal is to improve my strength.
When you’re not working on agriculture or studying, what do you do to recharge, and how does that influence your approach to solving food security challenges?
I read books, watch documentaries (especially of companies which has failed), I also play video games (football PS5), play football, chat with friends and colleagues and chess. Books and documentaries give me knowledge and insight. Chess – you only control what is within your purview, focus on that; playing football teaches teamwork and chatting with friends is about relaxation. Life is not always about work and strategies.
On Technology & Innovation
What specific breakthrough led you to develop AI-based irrigation systems for soilless farming, and how does this technology solve predictability challenges that traditional farming faces?
Irrigation in simple terms is giving water to plants, and this we usually do by adding nutrients in the water (fertigation). If plants are seen as living things, then they can’t just “eat” all the time, there must be ratios. It gives the farmer control and allows the plant to grow better.
You’ve said “food production should not be seasonal because hunger is not seasonal.” How does your technology make this vision practically achievable for smallholder farmers?
Precision farming means you can plant anytime, so you can harvest anytime. You do not have to wait for the rains. In developed nations, they have cloud seeding, and they can literally determine when the rain should fall, we may not be there yet, but we can irrigate when water is needed. With climate smart agriculture, we can control a bit of the abiotic factors affecting plant growth.
What role does machine learning play in your current operations, and how do you see AI evolving in African agriculture over the next decade?
We are still at the baby stages for prediction and diagnosis of diseases but it will play a major role in the future. It is called agricultural science – the science of the future will be well integrated with AI. Every other sector has grown because of science, this will happen also in agriculture from predicting climatic conditions, seeds and their health, IPM, GAP, Post-harvest management etc.
On Business & Scaling
How do you balance the business mindset you advocate for with affordability for farmers who need these technologies most?
The beauty about technology is there is a technology you can afford at every level. Growth is dependent on understanding the business of what you are doing, technology is just an enabler.
What are the biggest barriers to scaling soilless farming across Nigeria, and which of these do you think technology can solve versus those requiring policy intervention?
The biggest challenge is knowledge. Most farmers are not running their farms as a business, so technology adoption is not the issue. They need to have a business mindset first if not even if they adopt it, it will be equivalent to gifting a Porche to a 1-year-old kid – not qualified to drive, can’t drive and no license to drive. They need to grow in knowledge of business before the conversation of any technology.
On Training & Capacity Building
Your training programs are central to your mission. What’s your success rate in terms of trainees implementing soilless farming, and what factors determine success?
The goal is not for everyone to be a farmer, that will be a dream too small. First is to grow young people who take responsibility for their lives rather than blame others and systems for their failures. In addition, it is rather to ensure those who pass our training are aware of what food is and how to treat food right. Understand the role they have to play in building the nation of their dreams, whether or not they choose to use agriculture as a tool is a different conversation. Developed nation does not have more than half of their populations as farmers, if we are looking at building a future where we can compete globally, then building humans who understand work is the goal. Over 90% of those who pass through us get the message of work.
How do you adapt your training for farmers with different education levels and technical backgrounds?
Everyone understands how to use a phone regardless of their education background, the same applies to driving a car etc. If we cannot teach what we know to anyone regardless of educational background, then it means we do not really understand it.
On Women’s Empowerment
What specific initiatives does Soilless Farm Lab have for women in agriculture, and how do you measure their impact on gender equality in farming communities?
Our training allocates 70% to women. We also provide special credit to women who want to do business with us once we have done our KYC. We measure their impact on accepting their role in the society, having a voice and being able to take care of their needs.
How do you address cultural barriers that might prevent women from adopting technology-driven farming practices?
Culture predates technology, so as we work with the community but we are patient to know that change takes time. Those who can adopt technology do, those who can’t – we accept. As long as they run their farms as a business, it is a step.
On UN SDGs Alignment
Beyond Zero Hunger, which UN SDG do you think your work most directly impacts, and can you give concrete examples of this impact?
Zero poverty and Climate action are directly impacted. Hunger remains the first parameter of measuring poverty and if we can cater for hunger, we cater for poverty metric. We have created jobs, increased income and revenue and provided access to markets (locally and internationally). Running over 100 acres of greenhouse farm, the level of mitigation of climate change is a lot, add to that the 100+KVA solar, thousands of trees planted, etc.
How does soilless farming contribute to climate action (SDG 13), particularly in terms of water conservation and carbon footprint?
The use of irrigation system ensures water usage is reduced by over 90%. Greenhouse farming technology reduces our carbon footprint during farm setup, the use of rice hulls and cocopeat for soilless farming also reduces carbon footprint as these would have been burnt and contributed to climate change. We have trees, solar panels, post-harvest management systems – compost making systems, processing, and biogas production with waste.
On Leadership & Vision
You’ve received recognition from CNN, spoke at TED, and others. How has this platform responsibility shaped your approach to advocacy and scaling your impact?
The world is watching, so give life your best.
As a member of the Royal Court of the Ooni of Ife, how do you leverage traditional authority structures to advance modern agricultural practices?
Traditional rulers are the only powers that live till death, political power changes hands and if we must work with rural areas, the traditional rulers are the real power. If the leaders understand, the followers will adopt.
On Future & Challenges
What’s the most significant technological advancement you’re working on that isn’t yet public, and how will it change African agriculture?
It is not public for a reason!
If you could implement one policy change that would accelerate the adoption of modern agriculture in Nigeria, what would it be and why?
Cost of funds. It is not about technology adoption but for farmers to get fair rate for farming as the sector is not like any other. Hunger is local but food is global. If our cost of funds cannot compete globally then our food will be relegated and we will have to continually increasingly depend on import to feed ourselves.
ENDS
Watch the story here
നിങ്ങളുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങൾ രേഖപ്പെടുത്തുക