The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Joshua Olalekan Ogunwole, has called on African governments, universities and agricultural stakeholders to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and modern farming technologies to address the continent’s growing food security challenges.
Ogunwole warned that Africa could not sustainably feed its rapidly expanding population by relying on traditional farming methods, stressing the need to improve agricultural productivity through scientific knowledge, precision farming and technological innovation.
The Professor of Soil Science made the call in a keynote paper titled “AI-Powered Agriculture: Transforming Food Production, Precision Farming and Agricultural Sustainability in Africa,” delivered on his behalf by the Dean of FUOYE’s Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Professor Adebola A. Aderibigbe.
The paper was presented at the 11th International Multitrack Conference on Mobile E-Services, held at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, from October 20 to 22, 2026.
The conference, which brought together scholars, researchers, scientists and industry professionals, explored the interdisciplinary applications of artificial intelligence in computing, engineering, healthcare, agriculture, entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability.
In his presentation, Ogunwole highlighted the pressure Africa’s population growth was placing on food production, noting that the continent’s population had increased from approximately 283 million in 1960 to more than 1.5 billion, with projections indicating it could approach 2.5 billion by 2050.
He expressed concern that millions of Africans continued to face hunger despite the continent’s vast agricultural resources, citing estimates that about 309 million Africans experienced hunger in 2025.
“Our challenge is not simply how much land we have. It is how much food we can produce, sustainably, from the land available to us,” he stated.
The Vice-Chancellor argued that agricultural development should focus more on improving productivity than expanding cultivated land, explaining that farmers with smaller farms could achieve higher yields than those with larger holdings if they had access to improved seeds, reliable weather information, appropriate fertilisers and efficient water management.
He identified artificial intelligence as a valuable tool for helping farmers monitor soil conditions, predict weather patterns, detect crop diseases early and determine the appropriate timing and quantity of water and fertiliser application.
According to him, precision farming would enable farmers to provide crops with the right resources, in the right quantities, at the right locations and at the right time, thereby reducing waste, cutting production costs, improving yields and protecting the environment.
However, Ogunwole cautioned that artificial intelligence should complement rather than replace farmers’ experience and judgement.
He explained that combining technological information with farmers’ practical knowledge would produce better decisions, particularly as changing weather patterns increasingly challenge traditional planting practices.
“Experience tells us what has worked before. AI helps us understand available information and anticipate possibilities. Judgement helps us decide what is appropriate,” he said.
The FUOYE Vice-Chancellor also stressed that access to technological information alone would not solve Africa’s agricultural challenges without the infrastructure and resources required to implement the recommendations.
He noted that a farmer who receives an early warning about an approaching drought might still suffer crop losses without irrigation facilities, reliable water supply or the financial resources to take preventive measures.
“Our problem is not always a lack of knowledge. Very often, it is the gap between what we know and what we have the capacity to do,” Ogunwole observed.
He consequently urged governments and development institutions to complement investments in agricultural technology with improved rural roads, irrigation facilities, electricity, financing and digital connectivity.
The conference was hosted by LAUTECH under the leadership of its Vice-Chancellor, Professor R. O. Rom Kalilu, with Professor J. O. Emuoyibofarhe serving as Conference Chair.
Ogunwole’s presentation underscored the importance of integrating scientific research, technological innovation and practical farming experience to strengthen agricultural sustainability and address Africa’s long-term food security needs.
