Kwara State Government has said adverse weather conditions such as global warming and climate change are some of the factors militating against high food yield and food security in the country.
It added that the consequences would lead to global food insecurity.
The Chairman, Kwara State Teaching Service Commission, Mallam Taoheed Bello, spoke in Ilorin at the first international symposium on biotechnology and molecular science, organised by the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin.
The theme of the symposium is: ‘Visionary trends in biotechnology and molecular science.’
Represented by Commissioner 1 in the service, Chief P. M. Owolabi, Bello urged biotechnologists and molecular scientists to proffer solution to the menace.
He said: “The world needs an instant solution to these existential threats.”
In their presentations, the agriculture experts admonished youths and upcoming scientists to be more involved in research as a form of skill acquisition to improve livelihood.”
The Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the symposium, Dr. Foluke Shola-Ojo, said involvement of more youths in research programmes would encourage sustainable development and growth in the country.
The agricultural expert, who said the people should be aware of effort of the Faculty of Agriculture’s Biotechnologists and Molecular scientists in ground breaking research, added that such had yielded positive outcome to develop students’ interest in the field of study as well as upcoming scientists.
She said the programme was designed to raise awareness about the importance of research to livelihood.
“The idea is to create more awareness that we are actually working too in this part of the world that is, the developing country. We are working and we want people to hear about the outcome of our research and what we are contributing to knowledge and livelihood.
“That’s the essence of this symposium. We want more youths to be involved. We even want them to take it as a form of skill acquisition. Moreover, this is why we are having a practical aspect of the work here. That’s just the basis.”
Dr. Shola-Ojo, who identified funding as a major challenge in research, implored stakeholders to support and equip Biotechnology and Molecular Science Laboratory in the institution ‘s faculty, which was said to have been donated by Prof. Leo Van de Mierop through Prof. J. O. Atteh.
“For fund generation, we want the government to support us because the foundation of any sound research can only come from the government. The government should put more effort in releasing fund for research so that more people that are involved in biotechnology and molecular science study can have access to conduct meaningful research that will impact more knowledge for people and impact positively on livelihood in Nigeria”.