The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Agric College

  • 700 take oath at agric college

    The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture (FECA) Akure, Dr Samson Odedina, has blamed the prevalence of vices in the society on socialisation.

    Odedina expressed concern that the youth, particularly undegraduates, were largely partakers in social vices, including robbery, assassination, thuggery, cultism, murder, organised cybercrimes and advanced free fraud.

    Speaking at the 2016/2017 matriculation of the college, Odedina noted that the agencies of socialisation such as home/family, the church, the media and schools have not lived up to their roles as character moulders for younger ones.

    Odedina said aside drawing students’ attention to punishment arising from anti-social tendencies, management was determined to improve on infrastructure, teaching and learning facilities in the face of economic recession.

    He said: “Our watchword is: ‘Agriculture with results’. Our goal is to always produce graduates that will be self-reliant and we have been succeeding in that.”

    According to him, emphasis of the college on value chain training was rewarded when the National Board for Technical Education(NBTE), its regulatory agency, approved the curriculum, which FECA jointly facilitate with six other Nigerian Institutions under its partnership with Switzerland Government Capacity Building for Agriculture Education (CBAEN). “This curriculum, developed based on FECA experience, would now be used in all colleges of agriculture as well as polytechnic nationwide,” Odedina added.

    The Registrar, Dr Pius Adebisi, who administered the oath of allegiance on the new students, urged them to face their studies squarely in order to succeed.

    In a similar development, Plateau State University (PLASU) Bokkos, administered oath of matriculation for the 2017/208 academic session on 996 newly admitted students.

    The vice chancellor, Prof. Doknan Shenni, who spoke to at the event, noted that of the 10,000 applicants, only 996 scaled the admission hurdle.

    Two faculties are coming on board-Health Science and Law, Shenni announced.

    He said: “The successful staging of the 1st and 2nd combined convocation ceremony has proved that the university has come to stay. Plateau State University will from now compete with similar institutions of learning not only in academic excellence, but in scientific innovation, research and above all in governance in line with global best practices.”

    Charging the new students to shun social vices, Shenni equally appealed to prospective investors to put their money into the institution in view of its increased enrolment, and environmental-friendliness.

  • Foreign investors partner Agric College on cassava production

    The Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, Dr Adeola Odedina, has said the college is partnering with foreign investors to create millions of value chain jobs in cassava production.

    Odedina spoke in Akure on Wednesday during the Cassava Adding Value for Africa Phase ll (CAVA ll) Project’s International Farmers’ Field Day.

    He said the college would support the Federal Government‘s investment in agriculture, aimed at employment generation, food security, poverty alleviation and provision of raw materials for industries.

    “We have four African countries with an investor partnering with us on Cassava Adding Value Chain for Africa phase ll (CAVA). These are Malawi, Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania and Bill Melinda Gates Foundation.

    The programme is to showcase the positive effect of best and recommended practice in cassava production enterprise”.

    Odedina said cassava national average yield is about eight to 10 tonnes per hectare with the possibility of farmers obtaining between 20 to 25 tonnes per hectare if trained. He however, said it is far below the potential of the crop if well managed.

    He projected that farmers and investors would witness unprecedented yield in cassava to as much as  60 tonnes per hectare. On how this will be achieved he said the strategy would be achieved through crop management options that are within the reach of the farmers.

    He expressed the hope that the steps being taken would lead to increase in production at low cost as well as encourage youths to embrace agriculture.

    According to him, the college is grateful to cassava Adding Value for Africa phase ll (CAVA) Project and its donors, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for tapping into college experience in cassava sector in uplifting its project.

    He noted that the college had joined a high yielding and disease-resistant varieties with modern technology of cassava processing, which are meant for farmers and processor in Ondo State and surrounding states.

    “Over 40 per cent of 8,500 vocational training graduates in recent years have benefited from the college experience in cassava value chain opportunities, “ he noted.

    A team of delegates from Uganda led by Mr Tony Ijala, said  the new technology idea gathered in Nigeria would be fully implemented in his country.

    Noting  that the technology would improve cassava production in the east African nation.

    Ijala, who stated that Uganda has a lot of challenges which include tackling cassava diseases, added that Nigeria has always been of assistance to Uganda.

    Also, Mrs Chikumbeni Grace, who led the team from Malawi, lauded the programme and promised to take the new idea to her country.

    She expressed the hope that the new idea would assist Malawian farmers to increase their output in cassava production.

  • Rep partners Agric College to train graduates

    Worried about the huge number of unemployed youths in the country, a member of the House of Representative representing Akure South/Akure North federal constituency, Hon. Afe Olowookere, has entered into a partnership with the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, the Ondo State capital, to train graduates on animal husbandry and food crops farming.

    50 graduates in his constituency, the lawmaker disclosed, would benefit from programme. At his maiden constituency empowerment programme held in Akure, Olowookere donated 10 cars, 50 motorcycles, refrigerators, sewing machines, and generators worth over N35million.

    While disclosing that he is in discussion with the Benin-Owena River Basin Authority for a land lease at Igbara-Oke in Ifedore local government area of the state for youth ready to go into farming among the trainees, the lawmaker added that he has also finalised arrangements to train people in crafts and trades like tailoring/fashion design, welding and fabrication, tie and dye, soap making and foundry.

  • Agric college, Switzerland partner on capacity building

    The Federal College of Agriculture, Akure is  collaborating with the  Switzerland Government project to  develop manpower in the sector.

    Known as Capacity Building for Agricultural Education in Nigeria, the project is to be implemented by Switzerland School of Agricultural Forest and Food Sciences on behalf of the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) in collaboration with the institution.

    The project, the Provost, Dr  Samson Adeola said, has been developed within the framework of the Migration Partnership between Nigeria and Switzerland established in February 2011.

    It   aimed to expand the dialogue and to enhance the cooperation migration between the two partner nations and to find constructive solutions to the challenges of global migration – in a spirit of partnership and trust.

    Odedina said  the  project to  last   two years would consolidate on the achievements already recorded by the college during pilot and first phases of the project where the College excelled.

    Specifically the project is intended to build the capacity of small scale farmers.

    He said the development is a further recognition of the college as a leading provider of agricultural education in the world system.

    He therefore enjoined the Organised Private Sector (OPS), especially the agro-allied industries to partner with the college in capacity building to attain the objectives of the Federal Government through  Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) especially in training young and emerging farmers on value chain opportunities.

  • Agric College partners FUNNAB on cassava value addition

    Agric College partners FUNNAB on cassava value addition

    The Federal College of Agriculture, Akure has been awarded a grant by the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta covering April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2019.

    Known as Cassava: Adding Value for Africa Phase II (CAVA II), the grant is to help 200,000 small farmers to sell two million tonnes of cassava roots to make processed products such as high quality cassava flour, chips for animal feed and cassava starch in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi.

    Consequent upon this engagement, the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure is expected to work with the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and a host of other partners including Ondo State cassava value chain actors to meet the poverty reduction creed of the project.

    The Provost of the College Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina, said  the choice of the institution is informed by its relevance in the cassava sector and its commitment to providing world-class leadership in value chain activities and development in Nigeria.

    The college is also expected to partner the Team on Cassava Value addition (HQCF and other traditional cassava value chain) of the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Government. Stakeholders and value chain actors in Ondo State are expected to benefit from this collaboration.