Management team of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Ekiti State University, EKSU, Ado Ekiti, have been urged to deploy their knowledge and experience to the development of agriculture towards making Ekiti state independent in food production and increased protein intake of its people.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Olabode Adetoyi made the urge at a meeting with the leadership of the faculty, led by the acting Dean, Prof. Deji Fasuyi in his office in Ado Ekiti.
Dr Adetoyi, who challenged the academia to convert the large expanse of land lying fallow at the university campus for decades to farming activities for income generation and food production, said that parts of the land could be used for tree crops like oil palm, cashew and citrus and as well meet the state’s needs on its school feeding programme.
He opined that the institution should be able to provide manpower needed to service the emerging agro-based industries in the state, calling on the lecturers to arrange their students into cooperative groups so as to benefit from the state government proposed empowered facility for 10,000 indigenes and discourage them from seeking for white collar jobs that are no longer available.
The Commissioner assured that the ministry would cooperate with the faculty on how to make EKSU a centre for food production in large quantities for internal consumption and export purpose.
Dr Adetoyi desired the collaboration of the faculty in the areas of agricultural research, soil test, agro-chemical production, and high-yield seedlings, stressing that the institution could be a source of fruits production all the year round.
He said that there was no reason why the university, through the faculty could not have cattle ranch, poultry, piggery, fish pond and citrus orchard that could supply the immediate needs of the people of the state and its neighborhood, adding that Ekiti should no longer depend on other states for the supply of fruits and fish.
While contributing, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Engr Olugbenga Odesanmi called on the faculty management to revisit the collaboration it used to have with the ministry by introducing reforms and innovations that could turn around the faculty, the students, the school and by extension, the state for better.
Engr Odesanmi said that, with an expertise at the helm of affairs in the ministry, both institutions should fashion out modalities of synergy that would be in tune with the policy and programme of the present administration on agriculture that would guarantee food security to the people of the state.
Responding, the Dean of the Faculty, Prof Fasuyi, said that the faculty has what it takes to support the ministry in accomplishing the mandate of ensuring food security to every Ekiti resident at affordable costs.
Prof Fasuyi affirmed that that the expertise needed in the agricultural sector are abound in the faculty, adding that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN has earmarked a loan facility of 600 million naira for poultry production to the university, which would be accessed soon.
The university don also revealed that another CBN loan was being processed for the establishment of a feed mill, when fully accessed and the project completed, would break the monopoly in the feed market and as well create a ready market for maize production in Ekiti state.
While congratulating the Commissioner on his appointment, Prof Fasuyi admonished him to use his wealth of experience and expertise to bring significant transformation to the sector, using his private sector-driven background.
He said that the faculty has taken several efforts to embark on crops cultivation and poultry production, but has met with stiff resistance from the community because the university land was not properly acquired and the occupants were not paid compensation by government.
He promised to collaborate with the ministry to ensure that it delivered on the mandate given to it by the governor.