In a modest classroom at Caleb University in Lagos, three Nigerian undergraduates are making waves with a technological breakthrough that could reshape Africa’s agriculture sector by creating an app determines the ripeness of fruits like mangoes, offering a scalable solution to one of the continent’s most pressing challenges: post-harvest food loss.
The student team—Harmony Abayomi, Efod Freda, and Nwachukwu Chibuzor—have turned their academic project into a potentially transformative tool for smallholder farmers, food traders, and consumers across Africa. Using computer vision and machine learning, their app scans the surface of a mango, analyzes its color, texture, and skin integrity, and then delivers an immediate assessment: ripe, underripe, or spoiled.
“The goal is simple: empower farmers with technology that’s easy to use and solves real problems,” said Harmony Abayomi, one of the co-creators. “This isn’t just about mangoes—it’s about transforming how we approach food quality on the continent.”
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), between 30% and 50% of Africa’s agricultural produce is lost before it reaches consumers, largely due to spoilage and poor post-harvest management. Perishable fruits like mangoes are especially vulnerable, often going bad in transit or before they can be sold.
The app is a direct response to this issue. It is simple enough to be used by farmers in rural markets but sophisticated enough to continually improve itself. With every scan, the app’s machine-learning algorithm becomes more accurate, adapting to different fruit varieties and environmental conditions.
What sets this innovation apart is its origin: young Nigerians designing solutions from within their own context. The trio behind the app grew up witnessing how post-harvest losses affected local farmers, market vendors, and households. That lived experience has helped them create a practical, accessible tool with real-world relevance.
Download the Ebook now
Early pilot testing is planned with agricultural cooperatives during the upcoming mango season. If successful, the team plans to expand the app’s functionality to include other perishable fruits like avocados, bananas, and tomatoes—crops that account for a significant portion of spoilage-related losses across Africa.
“We’re already working on adding more fruit types,” said Efod Freda. “We want this to be a one-stop app for quality control, whether you’re a farmer, a seller, or just shopping at your local market.”
The team has also attracted interest from agritech incubators and NGOs focused on food security. Discussions are underway for potential partnerships to help scale the app across Nigeria and beyond, with aims to eventually integrate features like pricing suggestions, geolocation-based data, and storage tips.
Beyond the technical achievement, the app symbolizes the promise of Nigeria’s digital future. In a country facing high youth unemployment and significant food insecurity, the innovation speaks volumes about the role of young, locally-trained talent in driving socio-economic change.
“This app proves that innovation doesn’t have to come from Silicon Valley,” said Professor Adetola Bakare, a mentor on the project. “It can come from a Lagos classroom, driven by necessity, passion, and a deep understanding of local problems.”
If adopted at scale, the app could help farmers reduce waste, improve incomes, and enhance food quality from farm to fork. It is a vivid example of how technology, when fused with local knowledge and youth creativity, can provide solutions to some of the continent’s biggest challenges—one fruit at a time.