BIC Farms CEO Advocates Localised Greenhouse Design at FUNAAB Symposium

News in Brief: — CEO of BIC Farms, Onafowora, says greenhouse design in Nigeria needs to be adapted to reflect local climatic conditions.

— He urged stakeholders to see greenhouse cultivation as an integrated production system that can advance food security in Nigeria

Greenhouse design for farms in Nigeria needs to adapt and reflect local climatic conditions to be sustainable and impactful. This was the message of the MD CEO of BIC Farms Concepts, Adebowale Onafowora, at the maiden edition of the National Symposium on Greenhouse Cultivation hosted by the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta FUNAAB.

In his keynote address, titled “Greenhouse Cultivation: The Big Picture for Food Security, Climate Resilience and Agribusiness Growth in Nigeria,” Onafowora, who leads one of the top hydroponics farms in Nigeria, emphasised the importance of adapting greenhouse designs for the local climatic environment.

He highlighted that Nigeria’s tropical excessive heat and humidity require appropriate structures and effective environmental management. The hydroponics expert identified naturally ventilated structures, tunnel greenhouses, multi-span facilities and hydroponics as technologies that could improve crop quality and support year-round production.

Speaking to the stakeholders in the room, Onafowora advocated greenhouse farming as a way out of Nigeria’s food insecurity and agricultural underperformance. He said the sector could unlock an estimated ₦600 billion opportunity for Nigeria by developing more than 100,000 commercial growers nationwide. 

He urged agriculture practitioners not to see greenhouse cultivation as protected structures but as an integrated production system that can advance food security, commercial farms and sustainable agribusiness.

As a global controlled-environment agriculture expert and entrepreneur with experience managing BIC farms, Onafowora stressed that realising the potential of greenhouse farming would require affordable financing, technical expertise, sustained research support and effective market linkages. He also identified high commercial lending rates and inadequate risk-sharing mechanisms as major barriers to investment.

FUNAAB’s National Symposium on Greenhouse Cultivation is a three-day event hosted by Nigeria's agricultural education institution to convene researchers, industry practitioners, government agencies and other stakeholders. It explores innovative solutions for sustainable agricultural production in the country.

The symposium, themed “Greenhouse Cultivation for Enhanced Food and Nutritional Security in Nigeria,” was launched on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the University’s Red Chamber by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, and will conclude on Friday, October 23, 2026.

The symposium convener, Prof. Isaac Aiyelaagbe, explained that the programme promotes stakeholder participation and strengthens public-private sector collaboration in the emerging greenhouse cultivation industry.