About three years ago, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako assumed office as the sixth vice-chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Ogun state. Salako is a professor of soil physics and Fellow of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria (FSSSN). How has FUNAAB VC fared concerning his 12-cardinal agenda as encapsulated in the theme; “Excellence cannot be compromised”?
A cursory look at the journey of the 32-year-old institution, often described as beautiful and serene, into greatness suggests that FUNAAB is truly on the right pathway to becoming a centre of academic excellence. What are the indicators? It is instructive to note that the university achieved 100% after the last accreditation exercise in 2019 whereby a total of 18 programmes had ‘Full Accreditation’ while only one had ‘Interim Accreditation’. The manifestation of the internationalisation drive of the university is responsible for why it has been possible for CEADESE to draw international students from the Republic of Benin, Liberia, and The Gambia.
In the period under review, students of the university have done well in professional examinations conducted by reputable examining bodies like the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN), Chartered Institute of Bankers (CIBN), and competitions organised by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), among others. The community development efforts of the university have been up-scaled by aiding students’ practice in agriculture in the various villages while extension staff motivated to impart knowledge on farmers in their locations, especially with the commencement of FUNAAB Radio 89.5 FM broadcast.
The FUNAAB Alpha chicken project was partially supported by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation likewise the Cassava: Adding Value for Africa (C:AVA), and the African Cassava Agronomy Initiative (ACAI), which the Vice-Chancellor was once its Southwest Coordinator. Already, FUNAAB is being considered for the generation of energy through solar panels on a large scale, as some of its researchers have shown interest in biogas productivity. In summary, there are 32 TETFund and NEEDS Assessment-sponsored projects while a revitalisation fund, provided by the government, has supported 12 projects. There are 14 projects listed under CEADESE projects and these include the well-equipped central laboratory in addition to two National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) projects, the maternity and x-ray rooms.
In FUNAAB, income generation drive has been enhanced with the upgrading of commercial facilities such as the cassava processing equipment, bakery, confectionery unit, bottled/sachet water factory, cashew processing and on-going improvement of the palm oil processing. The odourless ‘fufu’ produced in the cassava factory is a product of research in FUNAAB, as many small and medium enterprises (SMEs), are already producing the ‘fufu’ at the commercial level alongside high-quality cassava flour. Due to limitations in campus accommodation, there are challenges with private hostels opposite the campus despite the university’s plans to build the Harmony Police Station that would assist in curbing anti-social behaviour, as most of the people involved in the vices were found not to be FUNAAB students. The university has engaged the services of a clinical psychologist to take care of the emotional needs of staff and students.
The aftermath effect of the pandemic was further mitigated by increasing the Post COVID-19 crop acreage. As part of community engagements, the administration re-surfaced the neglected 5.6 km Camp-Alabata Road last year. The alumni association is not left behind. It has been supportive in terms of provision of funds targeted at certain units of the university, particularly the Examinations and Records Unit in the Registry as well as the provision of campus shuttle to ease transportation problems. An alumnus, Mr. Ayopo Somefun planted about 2,000 seedlings of citrus on the university farm at no cost.
However, FUNAAB, like other universities, is not without its problems. According to the Vice-Chancellor, it is not possible to “Divorce societal problems from problems of tertiary institutions. Our tertiary institutions now mirror the society to the point of not knowing the threshold at which we must apply the brake. If our country can provide basic amenities taken for granted in universities located in well-endowed countries, most of the problems in the university system would have been solved. There is a need for an ethical revolution in Nigeria such that core positive values are imbibed by Nigerians, including stakeholders in the University”.
The Vice-Chancellor identified the various areas of expertise to those played by engineers, information technology experts, logistics and insurance firms, among others. It is on this basis that a specialised university like FUNAAB is expected to be different from conventional universities, justifying the call for the government to restore the College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) that was suspended a few years ago because of importance and the interdisciplinary nature of university education. No doubt, with the active support of the governing council, management, staff, students, alumni, and other external stakeholders, Prof. Salako can be said to be religiously fulfilling his promises to propel FUNAAB into achieving its tripartite mandate, meet the yearnings of stakeholders and realising the dreams of its founding fathers, as he clocks three years in office.