The Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE), Rivers State, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, has emphasised on the need to ensure food sustainability and security in the State and the society at large.
Prof. Onuckuku made the remarks at the 5th International Conference of the Society for Agriculture, Environmental Resources and Management (SAEREM) held at the postgraduate hall of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) Rumuolumeni, Port-Harcourt.
Declaring the conference open, the Acting VC described the theme of the conference, “Impact of Climate Change and Oil Pollution on Environmental Resources, Food Production, Biodiversity and Economic Growth”, as timely, given that the basic needs of man are far from him as a result of negative activities practiced.
Represented by the Dean, Faculty of Humanities, Professor Kingdom Eke Orji, Onuckuku emphasised that food sustainability is critical.
“Lack of productivity in the agricultural sector should be food for thought and a major area of concern for all, especially with the vast array of virgin lands at our disposal”, he stated.
The Acting VC enjoined all to make food sustainability and security a reality “by engaging in small and medium scale farming in our little corners and make availability of food production a thing of the past”.
Professor Onuchuku also stressed the need to bridge the gap between policy formulation and implementation, and to have an action plan that can be translated into meaning in the next ten years.
He welcomed participants to the University and wished them fruitful deliberations.
Speaking, the Chairman in Council of SAEREM, Professor Austin Otegbulu, noted that Agriculture and environment are interesting areas.
He assured that the Association would be one that everybody would look up to, to solve environmental and agricultural problems in the nearest future.
While wishing them well in their discussions, he urged participants to use the knowledge that would be acquired to enhance and better their lot.
In his speech, the National President of SAEREM, Professor E. M. Agu, represented by the National Secretary, Dr. Eteyen Nyong, stated that “SAEREM is a peer reviewed open access interdisciplinary research-based organisation that provides a wide view on topical issues as addressed by the central theme of the conference”.
He added that the association is also a non conventional society but with a clear cut paradigm shift in line with global best practices.
The President explained that their core mandate is to encourage interdisciplinary peer reviewed research base, provide welfare package to deserving members, and organize essay competitions for undergraduates in Nigeria.
He continued that if Nigeria is to effectively tackle the enormous challenges of food security presented by climate change, then “innovations and awareness of climate change impacts should be cultivated in all parts of the agricultural ecosystem”.
Food security, according to him, “is a significant step in ensuring a life of dignity for every citizen, especially as Nigeria has the opportunity of becoming a global leader in building a productive and resilient agricultural system for the 21st century”.
Professor Agu observed that the major threat to the agricultural sector is not just the insecurity from both the Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen, but oil pollution, gas flaring, flooding etc.
He expressed optimism that this year’s conference would provide good road map to address these challenges as well as come out with holistic results for policy formulation and workable recommendations.
In his address, the Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee, Professor Godfrey Adokiye Kalio, noted that the theme of the conference is apt due to the catastrophic consequences of global climate change caused by some avoidable human activities.
Such activities, he explained, emit large amounts of green house gases through the burning of fossil fuels, gas flaring and local crude refining (kpo fire) into the atmosphere that depletes the ozone layer.
“This results to global warming, increased rainfall, increase in sea levels, desertification, drought, flooding, population displacement, famine, spread of infectious diseases, threat to food production and safety, loss in biodiversity, death and economic losses”, he said.
He stated that the aim of the conference was to provide a veritable platform for the academia and captains of industries for the cross fertilization of ideas on the means of combating these situations in Nigeria and the globe.
Professor Kalio welcomed participants to what he called “the serene ambience, environment of IAUE, the fastest growing university in the South-South geopolitical zone in Nigeria and the West African subregion”.
He wished them “a blissful moment of brainstorming and fruitful deliberations in the various technical and scientific sessions”.
The event featured presentation of awards to some personalities.