Funding Underutilized Legumes Research: Industry Collaboration

Funding Underutilized Legumes Research: Industry Collaboration

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  34th Academic LectureSeries | Society for Underutilized Legumes (SUL) in collaboration with IITA | 25 March 2026 FUNDING UNDERUTILIZED LEGUMES RESEARCH: Industry Collaboration and FMCG Potential Prof. Adesola AJAYI FASSN, FSUL, AEC Vice-Chancellor, Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan (Tech-U), Nigeria
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  WE ARE NEGLECTINGVERY BIG BUSINESS 4 plant species supply ~60% of global calories 230M Nigeria's population under food insecurity stress $25B Nigeria FMCG market value (NielsenIQ, 2025) Nigeria possesses one of Africa's most diverse legume gene pools — drought-tolerant, nitrogen-fixing, nutritionally dense, culturally significant. Yet these crops remain largely absent from formal research agendas, national budgets, commercial seed systems, and FMCG portfolios. The reasons are structural, not agronomic. A self-reinforcing cycle: underutilized legumes receive insufficient research → lack improved varieties → cannot attract commercial interest → receive even less investment.
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  NIGERIA'S UNDERUTILIZED LEGUMESLANDSCAPE Key species, nutritional profiles, and current utilization status LEGUME SPECIES SCIENTIFIC NAME PROTEI N (%) CARB. (%) CURRENT STATUS Bambara Groundnut Vigna subterranea 19–28% 57– 68% Traded locally; Okpa consumed widely; limited formal processing African Yam Bean Sphenostylis stenocarpa 21–29% 42– 55% Subsistence crop; declining cultivation; high nutritional value Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan 20–26% 51– 58% Grown in northern Nigeria; IITA breeding programmes active Kersting's Groundnut Macrotyloma geocarpum 18–25% 55– 65% Endangered; very limited cultivation; high cultural value in N. Nigeria Winged Bean Psophocarpus tetragonolobus 29–39% 23– 40% ★ Highest protein of all; virtually all parts edible; almost no cultivation Sources: Ikhajiagbe et al. (2022); Odeku et al. (2024); Ojuederie et al. (2025)
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  THE STRATEGIC CASEFOR UNDERUTILIZED LEGUMES Five dimensions — BEYOND FOOD SECURITY Foreign Exchange & Import Substitution Replace costly wheat imports; export Bambara & pigeon pea to premium diaspora/global markets Socioeconomic Transformation Employment across value chain — production, milling, packaging, logistics, retail; rural income multiplier Women's Economic Empowerment Underutilized legumes are predominantly women's crops; commercialization flows disproportionately to women Nutritional & Public Health Impact 32% child stunting; 5.4M in acute malnutrition; legumes (18–39% protein) uniquely positioned to help Medicinal & Nutraceutical Value Bioactive compounds, antioxidants, antimicrobials; $700B+ global nutraceutical market by 2030
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  THE NUTRITIONAL CRISIS:WHY URGENCY MATTERS 32% Children under 5 with stunting (UNICEF, 2024) 5.4M Children in acute malnutrition (NE/NW, 2024) +69% Rise in SAM cases vs. 2023 (IPC, 2024) 55% Women of reproductive age affected by anaemia Underutilized Legumes: Uniquely Positioned to Help • Protein content 18–39% (rivals/exceeds cowpea) • High iron, zinc, calcium — addresses hidden hunger • African yam bean: 62.9% protein digestibility • Bambara groundnut: high methionine (complements cereals) • Winged bean: one of the most protein-dense legumes known • Can be incorporated into bread, noodles, complementary foods Economic cost of malnutrition: up to 11% of GDP (UNICEF, 2024)
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  DIAGNOSING THE FUNDINGGAP Three intersecting structural failures 01 Public Funding: Concentrated & Commodity-Driven • TETFund NRF: ₦7.5B approved for 2025 cycle — but peer review favours established commodities (maize, rice, cassava) • ARCN oversees 15 research institutes but chronically underfunded; fragmented coordination • Proposals on Bambara groundnut genomics or AYB product dev. are consistently disadvantaged 02 The Missing Private Sector • Nestlé, Dangote, Flour Mills, Cadbury, Chi source raw materials from global commodity markets • No structured mechanism exposing FMCG companies to underutilized legume product potential • No incentives for private investment in upstream research for these crops 03 The Translational Research Deficit • Critical gap: bridging basic science and commercial product development • Food technology R&D (processing, shelf-life, NAFDAC prep) is fragmented and underfunded • Research ends as journal publications — not as market- ready products
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  NIGERIA'S FMCG MARKETOPPORTUNITY Africa's fastest-growing FMCG market — creating structural pull for underutilized legume products 54.1% FMCG value growth in 2025 (NielsenIQ) $25B Market value 2025 ₦23T+ Projected market by 2027 $98.97B Food & drink market forecast by 2033 Fastest-Growing Product Categories (2025) Biscuits Flavoured Milk Energy Drinks Noodles (index) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 72 84 58 65 Three Structural Drivers Creating Legume Opportunity: • Naira devaluation → local raw materials more cost-competitive • Rising health consciousness → demand for high-protein, plant-based products • Modern retail expansion → distribution for branded, packaged products
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  FMCG PRODUCT PATHWAYMAP LEGUME FMCG PRODUCT TARGET SEGMENT PROCESSING NEEDS READINESS BAMBARA GROUNDNUT Fortified composite flour (wheat-Bambara blend) Mass market bakeries Milling, blending, quality standardization HIGH — needs NAFDAC registration Ready-to-eat Okpa (packaged, shelf-stable) Urban convenience Retort processing, vacuum packaging MEDIUM — shelf-life research needed AFRICAN YAM BEAN High-protein complementary food (infant nutrition) Infant & child nutrition market Dehulling, milling, anti- nutrient reduction MEDIUM — protein digestibility 62.9% proven AYB-enriched pasta and noodles Mass market (noodles = top-10 FMCG) Composite flour formulation, extrusion HIGH POTENTIAL — substitution trials needed PIGEON PEA Dhal & split pea product line (import substitution) Northern Nigeria; replaces Indian dhal imports Dehulling, splitting, grading, packaging HIGH — technology well established globally LIMA BEAN Canned/packaged convenience beans Urban households Sorting, soaking, cooking, canning/retort MEDIUM — supply consistency is key gap
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  BAMBARA GROUNDNUT A Case Studyin Commercial Readiness 19–28% Protein content 72.2% Biscuit market growth 2025 10–20% Optimal flour substitution level The Closest to Commercial Readiness • Already traded in local markets across Nigeria — Okpa in southeast, roasted nuts in north, flour used across multiple zones • Nutritionally complete: balanced amino acids including high methionine (complements cereal-heavy diets) • Flour successfully incorporated into bread, noodles, biscuits, extruded snacks at 10–20% substitution without loss of acceptability • Snacks from Bambara flour: 23.41g/100g protein content — superior nutritional profile • Antioxidant, antimicrobial, and analgesic properties documented (Odeku et al., 2024) • Thrives in poor, sandy soils and drought conditions that devastate maize and cowpea (Mayes et al., 2019) THE COMMERCIAL OPPORTUNITY Even 5% penetration of Bambara-enriched biscuits, noodles and bread would represent a market opportunity of hundreds of millions of naira annually: reducing wheat import dependence and improving protein quality of mass-consumed foods. Growth flows disproportionately to women who dominate cultivation and processing.]
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  GLOBAL COLLABORATION MODELS:LESSONS FOR NIGERIA Proven architectures linking public research, private investment, and commercialization BRAZIL — EMBRAPA +110% agricultural productivity; 17:1 benefit-cost ratio ; 46 research centres; 2,400+ researchers KEY LESSON: Sustained public investment in crop-specific research PLUS structured private sector engagement generates returns that dwarf initial investment. Technology transfer architecture — licensing, PPP, commercialization agreements — is the key. INDIA — ICRISAT Agribusiness Innovation Platform (AIP); ~40,000 farmers through 25 producer companies; CATALYST Initiative (2025) ; industry engagement KEY LESSON: A research institution can create a formal interface with private sector WITHOUT compromising public mission. The NutriPlus Knowledge Centre focuses specifically on food processing R&D for legumes and cereals. AFRICA — IITA + AOCC IITA Ibadan: world's most significant underutilized legume germplasm collection; African Orphan Crops Consortium genomic sequencing of Bambara groundnut KEY LESSON: Foundations are being built — germplasm, genomics, breeding. The commercial bridge connecting improved germplasm to processed products and consumer markets remains largely unbuilt. Nigeria must build it.
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  THE NULRCC: PROPOSEDCONSORTIUM FRAMEWORK Nigerian Underutilized Legumes Research and Commercialization Consortium — a multi-stakeholder platform coordinating research investment, industry engagement, and FMCG commercialization STAKEHOLDER EXAMPLES ROLE CONTRIBUTION Research Institutions IITA, IAR&T, NCRI, SUL Germplasm, varietal development, nutritional characterization Labs, germplasm, researcher time, competitive grants Technical Universities AATU (Ibadan) & others nationally Translational R&D, food tech, product prototyping, pilot plant operations TETFund NRF grants, faculty + postgraduate researchers FMCG Industry Nestlé, Dangote, Flour Mills, Chi, indigenous processors Product development partnership, market intelligence, distribution Co-investment in R&D (30–40%); offtake agreements Government Agencies TETFund, ARCN, NAFDAC, SON, FMARD Funding, regulatory facilitation, policy alignment, national ag. strategy Dedicated NRF thematic window; regulatory fast-track Development Finance AfDB, World Bank, IFAD, GIZ, USAID, EU DeSIRA Catalytic funding, technical assistance, south-south exchange Grant funding for Years 1–5; capacity building Farmer Organizations Cooperatives, women's farming groups, seed enterprises Supply chain anchoring, participatory research, seed multiplication Labour, land, local knowledge, community mobilization Abiola Ajimobi Technical University Ibadan (Tech-U) occupies the pivotal translational role: bridging science and the marketplace.
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  PHASED FUNDING ARCHITECTURE:BLENDED FINANCE MODEL 1 Foundation 2026–2027 Years 1–2 KEY ACTIVITIES • Consortium formation & governance • Baseline studies & germplasm audit • Initial product development • Consumer research • NAFDAC pre-engagement FUNDING SOURCES • TETFund NRF dedicated window: ₦800M • DFI seed grant: $2–3M • University in-kind contributions 2 Piloting 2028–2029 Years 3–4 KEY ACTIVITIES • Pilot-scale production facilities • NAFDAC product registration • Market testing & consumer trials • Contract farming pilots • FMCG co-development agreements FUNDING SOURCES • FMCG co-investment: 30–40% of R&D • TETFund continuation funding • State government agricultural budgets 3 Scale-Up 2030–2032 Years 5–7 KEY ACTIVITIES • Commercial production launch • Branded retail distribution • Seed system formalization • Policy advocacy for mainstreaming • Export market development FUNDING SOURCES • Private sector-led investment • Impact investment funds • Government incentives: tax holidays, pioneer status
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  NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES ASTRANSLATIONAL HUBS Bridging science and the marketplace and why TECH-U is uniquely positioned 1 Establish Food Technology Pilot Plants Not teaching labs alone — shared-use facilities where faculty, students, and industry partners collaboratively develop and test new products. TETFund's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub initiative (18 beneficiary institutions) provides the vehicle. 2 Create Structured Industry Liaison Offices Actively market research capabilities to FMCG companies and facilitate collaborative projects. Move beyond reactive consulting toward proactive partnership development. 3 Orient Postgraduate Research to Commercial Gaps Focus PG projects on: optimal processing parameters, consumer acceptability studies, shelf-life extension, value chain economics, and NAFDAC dossier preparation — not just publications. Why TECH-U Is Uniquely Positioned • Located in Ibadan — proximate to IITA (world's #1 legume germplasm institution) • Embedded in Oyo State agricultural economy • Large, accessible urban consumer market on doorstep • Founded on industrial collaboration philosophy • Tech-U mandate aligns with applied, industry-oriented research • Opportunity to become a national Centre of Excellence for underutilized legume product development Tech-U returns on investment: industry funding, more employable graduates, and research with direct societal impact.
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  CALL TO ACTION:STAKEHOLDER RECOMMENDATIONS FEDERAL GOVERNMENT & TETFUND • Create ring-fenced NRF window for underutilized crop research • Include legumes in National Agricultural Technology Plan with specific targets • NAFDAC/SON: proactively develop regulatory guidelines for novel legume products RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS & UNIVERSITIES • Prioritize translational research producing commercially actionable outputs • Invest in shared- use food technology pilot plants • Orient postgraduate research toward SUL's identified technical gaps FMCG INDUSTRY • Engage NULRCC as co-investors and co-developers — not just end- market buyers • Initiate pilot product development with composite flour blends and protein-enriched snacks • Advocate policy for incentives on local raw material sourcing DEVELOPMENT FINANCE & DONORS • Provide catalytic funding for NULRCC foundation phase (Years 1–2) • Prioritise south- south exchange: Nigeria ↔ EMBRAPA and ICRISAT AIP • EU DeSIRA initiative: natural funding vehicle for West African NUS work FARMER ORGANIZATIONS & WOMEN'S GROUPS • Establish community seed enterprises for underutilized legume species • Gender-responsive design: ensure commercial gains flow to women cultivators • Explore contract farming arrangements with FMCG processors for market access
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  CONCLUSION NIGERIA STANDS ATAN INFLECTION POINT The FMCG market is growing faster than any other in Africa. The agricultural system faces unprecedented stress. These pressures create conditions under which commercializing underutilized legumes becomes not merely desirable — but economically rational. EVERY BAMBARA GROUNDNUT PROTEIN BAR ON A SUPERMARKET SHELF REPRESENTS: • A smallholder farmer — most likely a woman — with a guaranteed market • A university food scientist whose research found its real-world application • An FMCG company that discovered a cost-competitive, locally sourced ingredient • A child with better access to affordable, nutritious, culturally resonant food • Every tonne of legume flour displacing imported wheat: pressure off foreign exchange reserves The research community's role: produce the science. Industry's role: produce the products. Government's role: create the enabling environment. The University's role — our role — is to serve as the bridge between them. Prof. Adesola AJAYI • Vice-Chancellor, Tech-U, Ibadan • 34th SUL Academic Lecture Series • 25 March 2026