Don Tasks Agric Faculties On Research

An agricultural engineer,
Mr Umoroye Adaotu has called on the various faculties of agriculture in the nation’s tertiary institutions to prioritise research to enable them become centres of excellence.
Adaotu, a lecturer at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State who spoke to our correspondent in a  telephone interview yesterday said most faculties of agriculture in the country had no standard farms.
According to him, faculties of agriculture owe it as a duty to churn out agriculture students versed in the practical aspect of their chosen field.
He said it was erroneous to believe that students who enroll in agriculture were from poor backgrounds.
According to him, agriculture remained the only alternative to unemployment even as he said it also constitutes a major backbone to the nation’s economy.
On challenges facing the agriculture faculties across the country he said efforts should be put in place to adequately fund the faculties of agriculture  in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
He explained that without proper funding, research, acquisition of equipment and the much needed agricultural inputs would suffer.
Adaotu further opined that tertiary institutions should also go into partnership with professional bodies and international NGOs to enable them stand the test of time.
According to him, institutions also stand to gain through collaborations among themselves in areas of common interest in form of exchanges, seminars and workshops, amongst others.
“Once in a while, the various universities through the body of all the faculties  of agriculture in the country should come together and brainstorm on the way forward,” he said.
He added that the universities’ agriculture faculties should not work in isolation regardless of whether they are private or government owned.
Engr Adaotu expressed the belief that some universities in the country were better equipped than others even as he said those more equipped should not fail to “extend a hand of fellowship” to their counterpart.
“There is no doubt that some universities have better agriculture faculties than others.
“Let those on better footing not fail to come to the rescue  of those that are less equipped,” he said.
Expalining further, he said the federal government’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA), should be made to play out in the various agriculture faculties.