The University of Calabar, on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, hosted its 137th Inaugural Lecture, delivered by Professor Susan Ohen, a renowned academic in Agricultural Economics. The lecture, titled “Bridging the Gap: Market Intermediaries, Ecosystems and the Quest for Sustainable Food Security,” explored the urgent need for a more inclusive, environmentally conscious, and profit-sensitive approach to food system management in Nigeria and beyond.
In a compelling blend of scholarly insight and personal narrative, Prof. Ohen reflected on her academic journey, which began in 1999 as a graduate assistant and culminated in her promotion to professor in 2018. She paid tribute to the mentorship that shaped her career, highlighting the roles played by Dr. Nathaniel, Dr. Ekpeni Ekpe, Prof. S.O. Abang, and Prof. Marian Solomon in refining her research focus in agricultural marketing and agribusiness management.
Prof. Ohen underscored the role of intentional mentorship, resilience, and strategic leadership in academia, especially for women. She noted with pride that she became the second female Dean of her faculty, following her mentor, Prof. Solomon, who broke the gender barrier as the first woman to hold the position.
A highlight of the lecture was a moment of personal triumph as she celebrated her daughter, Delight Ohen, who was recently recognized as the best graduating student in the Department of Agricultural Economics—28 years after Prof. Ohen herself earned the same distinction.
Shifting to the core of her lecture, Prof. Ohen addressed the structural inefficiencies in Nigeria’s agricultural markets, calling for a realignment of market intermediaries with environmental sustainability and social equity. She warned that climate change, population pressure, and ecosystem degradation threaten national food security unless decisive reforms are implemented.
Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon. Johnson Ebokpo, described the lecture as “timely and policy-relevant,” noting that it aligns with the state’s focus on sustainable agriculture. He disclosed that Prof. Ohen is currently leading a strategic committee tasked with drafting a seven-year development blueprint for the state’s agricultural sector.
“We are working towards a future where agricultural production is not only profitable but sustainable and inclusive. The insights shared today by Prof. Ohen reinforce the path we are already treading,” Ebokpo stated.
Also lending his voice, the Chairman of the Cross River State Forestry Commission, Rt. Hon. George Oben E’tchi, praised the lecture’s relevance to forestry reform. He acknowledged the decades of mismanagement that plagued the sector and expressed optimism that ideas drawn from the lecture would help reshape forest governance in the state.
“I took notes,” E’tchi remarked. “The ideas shared today will inform our policy and enrich the recommendations we present to government for reform.”
The event, which drew academics, policymakers, students, and industry experts, was both physically and virtually attended. In her closing remarks, Prof. Ekaette Enang, Chairman of the Committee of Deans, commended Vice Chancellor Prof. Florence Banku Obi for fostering an environment where research and intellectual discourse thrive.
She lauded Prof. Ohen for not only extending the frontiers of knowledge in agricultural economics but also for offering a deeply human and inspiring story of academic excellence, motherhood, and impact.
The lecture reinforced the role of universities in shaping policy and advancing national development—particularly in sectors as critical as agriculture.
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