By Waziri Isa Adam Gwantu
The Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Lagos, Professor Tayo Popoola, has warned that the planned establishment of grazing colonies in southern Nigeria is not sustainable and could worsen unemployment, food scarcity and insecurity.
Professor Popoola stated this on Thursday, 20th August 2026, while delivering a paper titled “Communication, Leadership and Innovation for Sustainable Community Transformation in Nigeria” at the 13th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders Conference held at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
He suggested instead a technological approach where grazing colonies would be irrigated during the dry season and established in the north, along Rivers Niger and Benue, through a proposed Grazing Commission. According to him, siting colonies in the south “would rather worsen the unemployment situation in the south just as it would also bring about scarcity of foodstuff, increase in crime rate, famine of unimaginable proportions amongst others.”
Speaking on leadership and communication, Popoola said leaders must serve as “Chief Public Relations Officers” who communicate and share ideas with the people. He cited Julius Nyerere’s Ujamaa policy and Nnamdi Azikiwe’s Zikism as examples of leadership that mobilized citizens through communication and self-reliance. He added that illegal exploitation of mineral resources remains a major source of insecurity in Nigeria.
On innovation, the don decried government’s failure to act on research breakthroughs. He cited the over-a-decade-old research on cassava flour for bread production. Quoting the Chairman of the Association of Master Bakers of Nigeria, AMBCN, Mr. Jacob Adejorin, in The Guardian of 25th November 2016, he said initial fears that cassava bread could cause diabetes were disproved by research showing cassava has an even lower glycemic index.
He also quoted former Director-General of FIIRO, Professor Gloria Elemo, who in 2020 told Nigerian Tribune that High Quality Cassava Flour, HQCF, can partially substitute wheat flour in bread making. Elemo noted that Nigeria is the largest producer of cassava in the world and that adoption would reduce bread cost and save foreign exchange.
Popoola further highlighted innovation in space technology, referencing Adigun (2017) who observed that Nigerian scholars at Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, and other universities have continued space-related research with minimal government support.
He lamented that despite 66 years of nationhood, many research efforts worthy of sustainability have not been encouraged by government, and urged policymakers to leverage communication, leadership and innovation to drive community transformation.
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