• Name: Dr. Terseer Nyulaku
• Role: National Team Leader, Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA)   
• Locations: Lagos State, Nigeria

What’s your big “why”? What’s the positive change/impact you and others in your field are trying to achieve and what are some of the challenges you face whilst doing so? 

Agriculture is the largest employer of labour in Nigeria and much of Africa, yet much of it remains at the subsistence level. Ironically, whilst we often complain about lacking machinery and equipment to boost productivity, Nigeria has more than 30 research institutions and universities, including around 10 specialised agricultural universities, all funded to find technological solutions to our challenges.

What we have realised is that many of these institutions operate in silos. Our role has been to connect them – demonstrating that when innovations from one group are combined with those of another, the results are far more impactful. For instance, research institutions now collaborate with local fabricators and makerspaces to co-create solutions.

Over the past 10–15 years, local industries and small processors have also been striving to add value to agricultural commodities, particularly with the rise in exchange rates. The demand for hygienic, high-quality food for local consumption is growing, yet technology is often inaccessible because it must be imported. Through linkages, we have shown processors that local technologies can, in fact, meet their needs.

These collaborations not only solve challenges but also create new market opportunities. During our meetings, participants frequently sell products to one another. We also bridge Nigeria’s diverse agro-ecological zones – rainforest, Guinea Savannah, Sudan Savannah, and Sahel Savannah – helping producers connect with new sources of raw materials across the country. For example, a processor in Lagos discovered northern farmers producing dates and established direct supply relationships.

This is the core of our work: building trust, fostering collaboration, and helping people recognise the value of working together.

If you could write your own job title that best describes what you do here, what would it be? 

I’d call myself ’Mobiliser and Motivator in Chief’.

The work we do requires people to trust me enough to step out of their silos, even when they think things are already working fine for them. At first, they rely only on my personal integrity. When they eventually see value in collaboration, I’ve achieved the ‘Mobiliser’ role.

But keeping them engaged requires constant motivation, because results don’t come immediately – it’s a long-term process. My role is to always point them towards the big picture and sustain their interest in pursuing it.

What do you like about working in a global development company? 

This is the easiest question. Working in development allows me to make meaningful impact in communities without becoming politically partisan. I’ve had offers and pressure to join government, and whilst political office can create large-scale impact, development work also creates deep, lasting change. For me, this path feels truer to my purpose.

What’s the most exciting thing happening in your project/at work right now? 

The most exciting development is our new Digital Manufacturing Maker Space (DMM). It’s designed to sustain collaboration beyond the lifespan of the current project. We hope it will become a coordination hub that keeps stakeholders motivated, while also serving as a Centre of Excellence for Participatory Technology Development.

The DMM will also drive distributed manufacturing. For decades, Nigerian research institutions have created prototypes that never reached production. Instead of waiting for large corporations, we’re enabling local fabricators to replicate, standardise, and scale innovations by working together across different regions.

This model can allow us, for example, to collectively produce 1,000 multi-crop threshers within two months by distributing tasks. Beyond manufacturing, the DMM will also focus on youth skills development. With most current stakeholders aged 40–50, we need to attract young innovators and entrepreneurs. Through apprenticeship-style training, mentorship, and international certification, we hope to inspire a new generation of agricultural entrepreneurs.

What movements or discussions inspire you generally right now? 

In today’s Nigeria, inspiration is hard to come by because of widespread political disillusionment. However, I’ve been encouraged by the government’s new “Nigeria First” policy, inspired (ironically) by Donald Trump’s “America First.” The idea is that the government will prioritise sourcing products locally before looking abroad.

Even if it was introduced only as political rhetoric, we can hold policymakers accountable to it and use it to strengthen support for local industry.

What volunteering or passion projects do you do outside of work? 

This way, we preserve cultural delicacies while making them attractive and accessible to urban, health-conscious consumers.

What’s a quality a game changer should have and what’s your ambition to be one? 

A game changer must be fast-thinking and forward-looking, but also patient. I often work at a fast pace, yet I’ve learnt that some people are slower learners or adopters. They may not immediately catch up, but they often bring hidden value.

So, patience and sensitivity to others’ pace are critical. I pray constantly for the grace to listen, tolerate, and mentor those who aren’t as quick, because inclusivity makes innovation stronger.