Varsities pushing food security beyond campuses

The issue of food security is a global phenomenon. That is why organisations, such as the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture are leading the global crusade for food security. The emphasis is on qualitative, nutritious and healthy food, not just on any kind of food.

The federal and state governments have also fashioned out various agricultural schemes. Nigerian universities are gradually joining the crusade. Some of them are not only self-sufficient and able to feed members of their respective academic communities; they are also ready to export their agricultural produce abroad.

The three major universities that appear to be blazing this trail are the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta; Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti and Landmark University, Omu Aran, Kwara State.

Each of the universities, in separate interviews with our correspondents, disclosed their respective and ongoing agricultural projects, as well as where they hoped to be in the nearest future, as far as food production is concerned.

The Director, Centre for Community-based Farming Scheme, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Prof Sunday Adigbo, said the academic community, through its mechanised farming scheme, was able to produce enough food for the students, the academic and non-academic staff of the institution.

He said, “Through mechanised farming, we have been able to produce enough food, such as garri, palm oil, cashew nuts and maize, among others.

“We sell these items to our students, members of the university staff and the communities around us. We have 47 hectares of land. We dedicated 30 hectares to maize and 17 hectares to soybeans.”

Adigbo noted that if assisted by government to tackle post-harvest losses and to acquire more land, FUNAAB had the capacity to export food to neighbouring countries in West Africa and beyond.

Investigation also showed that, in view of the rising unemployment rate in the country, FUNAAB appears determined to use agriculture as a tool for preparing its students to face greater challenges after they graduate from the university.

“We are teaching our students mechanised farming. This is to impact them with entrepreneurial skills, which will enable them to be on their own when they graduate from the university,” Adigbo said.

In August 2018, the university developed Nigeria’s first improved indigenous chicken hybrid, which is now known as the ‘FUNAAB Alpha.’

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kolawole Salako, had described the FUNAAB Alpha as a product of over 20 years of research.

Salako said the hybrid was developed after 24 years of rigorous selection, cross breeding,  as well as on-station and on-farm testing across five agro-ecological zones of Nigeria.”

Salako, who explained that the university established the first Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics in the country in 1990, said the feat was achieved under the leadership of distinguished animal breeder, Prof Olufunmilayo Adebambo.

Adebambo noted that the ‘FUNAAB Alpha’ was much sought after by the local poultry farmers and even beyond Ogun State.

Also, ABUAD has a commercial farm, which provides food to the academic community and the neighbouring communities. Confirming this to one of our correspondents, the Provost, ABUAD College of Sciences and acting Provost, College of Agriculture, Prof Abiodun Ojo, said, “ABUAD Farm produces enough food to feed the academic community and even sell to the communities around us. We produce both food and cash crops. We also process farm produce. The university gets all of its chicken, eggs, vegetables and garri from the farm.

“We also have cash crops, such as teak, gmealina, moringa and palm trees. And we sell moringa seeds and palm tree seedlings to other farmers.”

Stressing that the university farm often processed the cash crops into finished products, Ojo added, “We have not started exporting foods, but we have been exporting wood products. We export out teak, gmaelina to Europe and the United States of America.

“Our mangoes are hybrid, but they are not available in this area. When the mangoes are harvested, we process them into two products: mango juice and mango chips, which we make available to the markets.

“The next stage is to use this farm as a training ground for agricultural entrepreneurs. We believe that agriculture is going to produce the next set of entrepreneurs and billionaires in the country. We want it to start from ABUAD Farm and that is why we are going to embark on this training programme for pour students.”

Also Landmark University, Omu-Aran in Kwara state, is not only a faith-based institution, but also an institution that produces food crops, eggs and meat for the consumption of its students and staff, as well as residents of the adjoining communities, including those living in Ilorin, which is about 65 kilometers away.

According to the Head, Corporate and Public Affairs at the university, Mrs Ngozi Osueke, the institution has two agricultural departments. One of them is dedicated to teaching and research, while the other is for commercial agriculture.

The Commercial Agriculture Department, she said, produces maize, cassava and fruits, such as pepper, tomatoes and cucumber.

“It also produces fish, eggs, chicken and bread, as well as table water, which we supply to the kitchen for the consumption of the university community.

“We processed our farm produce and get them ready for the market. Our bakery also produces bread, while our water factory produces clean table water for our market outlets.

“We also take our products to our outlets at Omu-Aran and Ilorin where we sell to the general public.”

Osueke, who said the university planned to expand its volume of production for the purpose of exporting its products outside the country, added, “What we produce now is for the consumption of the people in the university community and the environs.”