UWE Bristol has been recognised at the 2025 Innovate UK Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) Awards, marking the 50th anniversary of the UK’s longest-running innovation programme.
The partnership between UWE Bristol, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Nigeria, and Taro Agric Farm (TAF) was named winner of the African Agriculture KTP Award for its work applying data-enabled innovation to transform poultry farming in Nigeria.
Led by Professor Kamran Munir, Professor of Data Science at UWE Bristol, and Professor Saidu Oseni, Professor of Animal Sciences at OAU, the collaboration has transformed poultry production through the use of Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, dashboards, and predictive analytics.
About Taro Agric Farm
Taro Agric Farm (TAF) is a broiler-chicken production company based in southwest Nigeria with more than a decade of experience in commercial poultry farming. Operating concurrent batches of 2,000 birds per cycle, TAF runs multiple production centres across Osun and Oyo States.
Beyond production, the company provides consulting services, training, and capacity building for poultry farmers, supporting every stage of the broiler-chicken value chain-from input supply and production to processing, distribution, and marketing.
Through the African Agriculture KTP (AAKTP), TAF integrated smart technologies such as IoT-enabled sensors, real-time data storage systems, and predictive analytics, positioning itself as one of the leaders in digital and sustainable poultry farming in Nigeria.
Tackling sector-wide challenges through innovation
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between TAF, OAU, and UWE Bristol set out to apply data-enabled innovations (DEI) to commercial chicken production and to optimise business operations.
Nigeria’s poultry industry faces long-standing challenges such as high mortality rates, inefficient management practices, limited data use, and poor environmental conditions affecting bird welfare and productivity. Previously, farms relied on manual data collection and intuition rather than real-time monitoring, which often led to delayed interventions and losses.
To address these issues, the project introduced IoT technology, smart sensors, and a cloud-based dashboard for continuous monitoring of key welfare and environmental parameters, including temperature, humidity, air quality, and toxic gases.
Project activities included setting up and testing the IoT platform, configuring sensor nodes, creating a real-time database, developing dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs), and holding a stakeholder engagement workshop with around 100 participants to promote adoption across the sector.
Transformative results
The KTP has delivered measurable improvements in productivity, efficiency, and profitability at Taro Agric Farm.
- Staff gained hands-on expertise in deploying sensor nodes to monitor broiler health and welfare.
- A smart-farm infrastructure was installed, combining Wi-Fi, inverters, smart cameras, and sensor clusters for remote monitoring and improved decision-making.
- A MySQL database now tracks and analyses data on performance, costs, and returns, supporting evidence-based planning.
- A real-time decision-support dashboard enables proactive management of poultry welfare and performance.
- Staff training in KPI tracking has enhanced consistency and forecasting accuracy.
As a result, sales turnover is expected to grow by 30 – 40% within three years, and profit before tax by 20%, driven by improved efficiency and scalability.
The collaboration also led to the creation of a Data-Enabled Innovation (DEI) Lab within OAU’s Department of Animal Sciences, and integration of digital agriculture into the university’s curriculum – embedding long-term change in teaching and research.
Wider industry impact
The project’s influence extends across Nigeria’s poultry sector:
- 100+ poultry farmers and industry professionals trained in data-driven farming.
- 19 undergraduate and 2 MSc research projects launched on digital poultry innovation.
- Findings presented at the Nigerian Poultry Show 2024, positioning TAF as a leader in smart farming.
- Increased demand for TAF’s consultancy services from farms keen to adopt similar digital systems.
- Continuous, solar-powered IoT system operation achieved through inverter installation.
Voices from the partnership
“The KTP experience was truly transformative for me. It provided a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between academic research and real-world business applications. Through hands-on engagement with IoT sensors and data analytics, I have gained invaluable expertise in optimising broiler production through data-driven decision-making. The mentorship and collaboration have strengthened my skills in AI, machine learning, and predictive modelling—all crucial for the future of precision livestock farming.”
– Rasheed Lawal, KTP Associate
“This KTP was a game-changer for our business. Before the partnership, we relied on manual processes with limited real-time insight. Now, IoT-driven smart farming technologies allow us to monitor flock health, predict performance trends, and optimise efficiency. Productivity has increased, mortality reduced, and costs cut. We’re now recognised as one of Nigeria’s leading smart poultry farms and plan to expand AI-driven automation for disease detection, weight prediction, and feed optimisation.”
– Olamide Akintaro, Managing Director, Taro Agric Farm
“The KTP was an excellent opportunity to blend academic research with industry application. At OAU, we’ve long been committed to advancing precision livestock farming, and this project allowed us to demonstrate the power of digital transformation in practice. The training delivered to students is already inspiring new courses in AI, computer vision, and smart farming.”
– Professor Saidu Oseni, Professor of Animal Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria
“This has been a transformative collaboration between TAF, OAU, and UWE Bristol. By applying data-enabled innovations, we’ve tackled challenges such as high mortality and inefficient farm management. TAF staff have gained advanced digital-farming skills, and OAU has enhanced its curriculum and research capacity. This partnership exemplifies how innovation and collaboration can drive sustainable agricultural development.”
– Professor Kamran Munir, Professor of Data Science, University of the West of England, Bristol
A model for global collaboration
As Innovate UK marks 50 years of KTP, this award highlights how international partnerships can combine academic expertise, business insight, and innovation to create lasting social and economic impact.
From real-time environmental monitoring to AI-driven productivity gains, the Taro Agric Farm partnership demonstrates how research can be turned into practical solutions – improving livelihoods, strengthening industry resilience, and setting a new benchmark for digital agriculture across Africa.