Agriculture will address nation`s food security, poverty, employment challenges – VC


The Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Bamitale Omole, said on Tuesday that agriculture could address the nation`s food security, poverty and employment challenges, if given necessary attention.
Omole said this at the 2016 In-House Review of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR& T), Ibadan, with the theme: ``Growing the Nigerian Economy through Agricultural Research for Enhanced Productivity.``
He emphasised that agricultural activities had contemporary and historical facts underscoring their potential as major revenue earners for the country.
The vice-chancellor noted that the current economic trend is warning to the dangers of the country’s over-dependence on oil as the nation`s foreign exchange earner.
``So the step of the Federal Government to diversify the economy is a step in the right direction.
``The challenges of the moment calls for collaboration between agricultural research institutes and the private sector.
``Our research institutes should continue to develop technologies targeted at increased agricultural productivity.
``There is need to develop crop cultivars, livestock breeds tolerant to biotic stress, climate change and diseases, `` Omole said.

He also lauded the Federal Government’s decision to ban importation of certain commodities, adding that it would assist in protecting and growing investment in domestic production.
Omole, who is also the Chairman of the institute’s Governing Board, stressed the need for adequate security for agricultural investments with necessary policy and institutional frameworks by government at all levels.
The institute’s Executive Director, Prof. James Adediran, opined that there was no way productivity could be enhanced without demand-driven agricultural research.
Adediran maintained that agriculture played major roles in the country`s wealth creation, reduction in unemployment and enhancing food security.
He urged the government to provide research institutes with enabling environment in areas of infrastructural development and logistics support.
``The technologies developed by the institutes must be disseminated to end-users, who must be ready to accept innovations and improve their productivity, `` he said.
The highlight of the event included an award of excellence to Omole and some members of staff, including those who were winners at 2015`s Research Institutes Games Association of Nigeria (RIGAN)

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