Business
Oil Palm Plantation: FG To Support Varsity’s Initiative
The Federal Government
has reiterated its commitment to support the oil palm plantation of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).
Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, stated this in Ilorin, recently at the beginning of the oil palm plantation and the distribution of Personal Computers (PSs) to students of the university.
The minister noted that the oil palm plantation was a wonderful initiative for generating income for the university.
“It will add revenue, beauty and income to the institution and it is an innovation that will generate Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to lessen the burden of financial support from the government”.
Okonjo-Iweala, who was touched by the warm welcome from the students said, “I want to let you know that just entering the hall I am feeling the energy and you lifted my spirit.”
She commended the students for their “positive energy after the turbulent situation the country is going through” and reiterated government’s resolve to bring back the over 200 abducted Chibok school girls.
“We promise that we will not forget them and the reason that I am mentioning them is because when we speak about what happened to them we feel sad,” she said.
She pointed out that after some years of turmoil and more than a decade for other institutions, UNILORIN had earned a reputation for peace, calm, beauty and focused learning.
Okonjo-Iweala said that Nigeria had one of the highest populations of young people using mobile phones.
“We have the third fastest growing country in the demand for mobile phones. We have 128 million mobile phone subscribers in this country now”, she said.