The need for Nigeria and the global community to diversify food sources in response to worsening climate change took centre stage at the May edition of the Seminar Series of the Distance Learning Institute (DLI), University of Lagos, on Monday, May 25, 2026.
Delivering a seminar titled, Climate-Proof Food Security: Abiotic Stress in Underutilised Crops, Senior Lecturer at the Institute, Dr. Kehinde Bolarinwa, warned that continued dependence on conventional crops could deepen food insecurity in the coming years.
“If we continue to depend on crops that we already know, hunger is inevitable,” he stated.
Climate Change and the Future of Food Security
The Botanist and Molecular Geneticist explained that research projections indicate that yields from conventional crops could decline by as much as 30 per cent by 2030 due to the increasing impact of climate change.
According to him, diversification through the adoption and promotion of underutilised crops remains critical to achieving sustainable agriculture, climate resilience, and long-term food security.
He stressed that the growing threat of climate change demands urgent scientific and policy attention to alternative food systems capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions.
Understanding Underutilised Crops
Dr. Bolarinwa described underutilised crops as locally adapted plant species with economic and nutritional value that have remained commercially neglected and insufficiently researched despite their enormous potential.
“Food, crop, and shelter are basic necessities of life,” he said, while stressing the need to demystify science in ways that make those necessities more accessible and attainable for ordinary people.
The scholar further explained the concept of abiotic stress, describing it as the negative effect of non-living environmental factors on plant growth and survival.
“If crops do not grow well, the human end-users will not fare well either,” he noted.
Major Threats to Agricultural Productivity
The presenter identified drought, heat stress, flooding and waterlogging, as well as salinity stress, as major forms of abiotic stress currently threatening agricultural productivity globally.
He explained that these environmental pressures continue to affect crop yields, farmer livelihoods, and global food systems, particularly in vulnerable developing countries.
Bambara Nuts and Other Climate-Resilient Crops
Using Bambara Nuts (Vigna subterranea) as a case study, Dr. Bolarinwa described the crop as a nutritious but underappreciated alternative to cowpea (beans).
He explained that although the crop is cultivated mainly by subsistence farmers in northern Nigerian states such as Adamawa and Gombe, many Nigerians remain unaware of its nutritional and medicinal value.
According to him, Bambara Nuts possess qualities beneficial for diabetic treatment, muscle development, and prostate cancer prevention.
The scholar lamented that low market awareness and inadequate research funding continue to limit the cultivation, commercialisation, and large-scale adoption of underutilised crops.
Other crops highlighted during the seminar included millet, sorghum, and African yam bean.
Call for Research, Policy Support, and Sustainable Food Systems
Dr. Bolarinwa advocated increased investment in agricultural research, stronger policy support, and deliberate integration of underutilised crops into mainstream food systems.
He concluded that strategic investment in climate-resilient and underutilised crops would not only improve environmental sustainability but also strengthen global food security in an era of increasing climate uncertainty.
DLI Director Commends Knowledge-Sharing Culture
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Director of the Distance Learning Institute, Professor Riskat Dauda, commended members of staff for sustaining what she described as a monthly “knowledge fest.”
According to her, the DLI seminar series has become a model for faculties and departments across the University.
She emphasised the importance of academic discourse in advancing research, innovation, and sustainable development goals.
The May edition of the DLI blended seminar concluded with an engaging interactive session, which provided a platform for physical and virtual participants to further discuss the future of climate-resilient agriculture, sustainable food systems, and food security in Nigeria and beyond.
Report: Isaiah Kumuyi
Photographs: Samuel Dosumu
