Esan Advocates GenAI to Strengthen Nigeria’s Food Infrastructure

Nigerian researcher Oluwadamilola Esan has advocated the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to strengthen infrastructure supporting Nigeria’s food system and address persistent food insecurity and post-harvest losses.

Esan said emerging technologies could help address weaknesses across the agricultural value chain, particularly in infrastructure designed to preserve, process and distribute food.

She identified storage facilities, processing plants, cold chains and production hubs as critical components of the food system, noting that their effectiveness depends on proper construction, maintenance, inspection and operation.

According to her research, defects in construction, premature failure of components, weak inspection systems, fragmented oversight and poor maintenance can turn infrastructure intended to prevent food loss into a contributor to post-harvest losses and food-safety risks.

Esan’s work proposes the application of GenAI to quality assurance and quality control processes, with the technology helping to identify potential infrastructure weaknesses and support more effective monitoring.

She has previously co-authored research recommending the integration of precision agriculture technologies, including artificial intelligence, drones and remote sensing, into Nigeria’s farming sector to improve productivity and food security.

Her recent research also examines the role of digital technologies in strengthening water, energy and food systems, with findings indicating that digital innovations can have a significant impact on the integration of these interconnected sectors.

Esan therefore urged stakeholders to look beyond food production alone and invest in the infrastructure, technology and human capacity required to preserve food, improve supply-chain efficiency and build a more resilient food system.