A few days ago, I had the opportunity to listen to submissions of key players in the nation’s agriculture sector on how to achieve food security in the country. According to President Bola Tinubu, graduates of agricultural institutions should embrace innovation, integrity, and commitment, as they step into the real world and the dawn of a new chapter in their lives. The president, who is also the Visitor to federal universities, gave the charge while speaking at the 32nd Convocation Ceremony of the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Ogun State.
The president, who had restated his commitment to agricultural transformation in the country, was represented by the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Kayode Adebowale, as he emphasised the crucial role agriculture plays in Nigeria’s development, noting that it is the bedrock of the economy, the sustenance of the people, and the engine of rural communities. Tinubu announced that his government would continue to support universities of agriculture with funds to commence mechanised farming. He equally urged them to embrace the responsibility that comes with their education and be the innovators, the leaders, and the change-makers, who would turn knowledge into action and nurture a brighter future for Nigerian agriculture.
On his part, the Chancellor of FUNAAB, and the Abasi Otu V, Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon, has lauded the President Bola Tinubu for his untiring efforts towards the advancement of the agriculture and education sectors since he took over the reins of office. The monarch noted that his commitment to education was evidenced in the support that FUNAAB had enjoyed from agencies such as the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and the National Universities Commission (NUC). He explained that these agencies had partnered with the University management in the areas of “infrastructural development through their sustained funding and release of allocations to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and other special interventions”.
The chancellor urged them to deploy the knowledge they had acquired into practice by creating positive systems and platforms, which have the capacity to generate employment for other young men and women. He enjoined them to be worthy ambassadors of the institution by exhibiting the virtues, which they have been equipped with. Speaking in the same vein, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the institution, Oba Abdur-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi, Odundun IV, the Aragbiji of IragbijiLand, has called on Nigerians to go back to farm to ensure food security in the country and secure a bright future for everyone.
He said “unless and until everyone goes back to farm and work, food cannot be available”, stressing that the old method of farming of pure manual labour could not be enough to feed the rising population while encouraging the people to embrace full mechanisation. Young graduates have also been charged to be bold, innovative, and relentless in their pursuit of agricultural excellence. This admonition was given by the Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim at the occasion. Ibrahim, in his lecture, underscored the importance of embracing technology, thinking outside the box, and investing in strong collaboration, urging the graduates to seize the opportunities in Nigeria’s agriculture sector and become nation-builders.
The NADF Executive Secretary noted that Nigeria’s agriculture sector is not without its challenges, such as low productivity, climate change, and insufficient funding, emphasising that these challenges rather present opportunities for growth and innovation. He talked about the NADF initiatives, such as Emergency Response, by supporting Ginger Farmers affected by a devastating epidemic; Driving Mechanisation, by partnering with John Deere and TATA Africa Services to deploy 10,000 tractors; Building Partnerships, by linking up with development partners, government agencies, and sub-nationals, and support towards research, by conducting the Needs Assessment of Agricultural Research Institutes and Federal Colleges of Agriculture.
In a nutshell, the Abeokuta event would remain fresh in our memory when it comes to how to practice sustainable farming in our country. The takeaways are the adoption of innovation, integrity, and better commitment to agriculture. The creation of positive systems and platforms that have the potential to generate employment for other young men and women, jettisoning of old method of farming of pure manual labour could not be enough to feed the rising population while encouraging the people to embrace full mechanisation, are key. Furthermore is the use of technology, doing something unique through collaboration, exploring opportunities in the agriculture sector, and tackling the mitigating factors of low productivity, climate change, and insufficient funding, among others.
Not only that, the importance of harnessing emergency response by assisting farmers with environmental challenges and mitigating factors that could impede agricultural production had become issues to look out for, aside from the development of effective partnership with the relevant corporate bodies within and outside Nigeria, to ensure that our farmers and those engaging in farming are supported to turn around the parlous situation that we currently face when it comes to food production and farming practices. This is really where to focus on, going by what the discourse has taught us in advancing the cause of agriculture in Nigeria.
