Caleb Eli is a PhD candidate in Sustainability Science at the University of Lisbon (REASOn doctoral programme), hosted at CEGIST and supervised by Professor Ana Carvalho and Professor Idalina Dias Sardinha. His research develops a stakeholder-driven governance framework for scaling hydroponics in African cities, drawing on evidence from Lagos and Nairobi. It combines multi-level socio-technical transition analysis, circular economy principles, and participatory co-design to address why technically viable urban farming systems rarely move beyond pilot stage. Since March 2025 he has been a PhD intern on the Horizon Europe INCiTiS-FOOD project, based at the University of Ibadan Living Lab in Nigeria, where he has carried out systematic reviews and stakeholder mapping. He previously worked with Rikolto International on the FAO Green Cities Initiative, contributing to Kisumu's multisectoral food environment strategy and producing policy briefs for partners across sub-Saharan Africa. He holds a Master's degree in Food Systems Innovation from the Netherlands and a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Technology from Nigeria.

Keywords: Urban food governance | Hydroponics scaling | Circular economy