Government agencies and private organizations in Nigeria, have been advised to work closely with universities in the country with a view to taking advantage of research findings to develop the economy and beter the lot of the people.
Vice-Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Blessing Didia made the call at the inaugural lecture of Prof. Mrs. Edith Chisa Chuku of the Department of Applied and Environmental Biology of the University, Wednesday.
Prof. Didia said that the research findings of Prof. Chuku in plant protection and food preservation are important for farmers, agro-allied industries and food vendors, especially at a time Nigeria is returning to agriculture.
He commended Prof. Chuku for the erudite lecture and referred to her as one of the professors the Rivers State University of Science and technology is proud to have produced, adding that with the inaugural lecture, she had confirmed her ranking as a full professor.
Earlier, Prof. Mrs Chuku gave a lecture titled “Good Health in Healthy Green Plants: The Plant Protectionist Approach” held the audience spell-bound. Drawing facts from some of her research findings, Prof. Chuku drove the lecture to and end with standing ovations.
In course of the lecture she underscored the importance of plants to humans, but wondered why plant health meant so little to people. She said that man ought to commit to plant health because, one is only as good as what eats.
According to her, healthy green plants produce better even as it supports the environment, but that its contribution to food needs and human health and economy should make the human society to defend green plants that are so easily attacked by disease, man and nature.
Even as she makes a passionate appeal for all humans to take responsibility for plant health, Prof. Chuku advocates a strong collaboration among plant scientists, Micro biologists and food scientists in the protection of plants.
Indeed, her findings on the preservation of the shelf life of the “ogbono” seed, paw-paw and cassava drew laud ovation as speaker after speaker poured encomium on Prof. Chuku.