By Rotimi Ojomoyela
Ado Ekiti
In a bid to hasten the diversification process of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, former Deputy Governor of Ekiti state , Chief Paul Alabi and an industrialist, Mr Abiodun Isinkaiye , have called for massive and intensive investment in Agriculture in all Nigerian universities.
The eminent Nigerians noted that the country will favourably attain the food security level, if the federal government can replicate the farming investment of the Afe Babalola University , Ado Ekiti in at least two universities in each of the six geopolitical zones.
They said this in Ado Ekiti at the weekend during the 2016 Afe Babalola Food Security EXPO, where green leadership award were conferred on some Nigerians for their contributions to the agriculture sector.
Aside from the duo of Alabi and Isinkaiye, those who received honours included: Governor Ayodele Fayose, Chief Afe Babalola(SAN), Senator Biodun Olujimi, the Ohinohi of Ebira land , Alhaji Ado Ibrahim, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, the Olugbo of Igbo kingdom, Oba Frederick Akinruntan .
Alabi, a renowned yam and cassava farmer , said the current economic recession caused by tremendous reduction in the price of oil at the international market and the shortfall in the production of crude oil are suffice to teach Nigerians strong lessons that they should embrace farming.
“I want to sound a note of warning that the current recession may linger if people , particularly the government that has enough money fails to invest heavily in farming. We must work on how to improve food production for us to get to self-sustaining level”, he said.
Isinkaiye, owner of Prosperous hotel in Ado Ekiti, said farming has become a goldmine in Nigeria to the extent that every investment in the sector will grow and multiply rapidly.
He said the country will be deceiving itself if they expect quick economic recovery from the slumped price of oil at the international market.