Don seeks public-private partnership in agricultural input, production, supplies

Prof. Folusho David-Abraham, the President, Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigeria (ADAN), on Thursday advocated a workable framework to promote public-private partnership in agricultural input, production and supplies.

David-Abraham stated this in Omu-Aran, Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The ADAN`s president maintained that such partnership was needed in the areas of machinery and credit facility in order to improve the agricultural sector.

She said that the call for such a workable framework became necessary so as to complement the on-campus training of agriculture graduates by setting them on the pedestal of profitable self employment.

The lecturer also suggested the active involvement of Faculties of Agriculture in the nation’s tertiary institutions in the implementation of the partnership to achieve the desired aims and objectives.

``It is high time a workable framework for public–private partnership in agricultural input, production and supplies was put in place.

``This is basically in the areas of machinery and credit in order to take the sector to its rightful position.

``In order that such a framework would complement the on-campus training of agriculture graduates by setting them on the pedestal for profitable self employment.

``It is hereby advocated that Faculties of Agriculture should be actively involved in the administration of such partnership, `` she said.

David-Abraham also expressed the need for teachers and students of agriculture to have positive mindset on the viability of agriculture as the most promising option for self employment and national food security.

This, she said, remained the only antidote toward the successful implementation of most government’s initiatives aimed at transforming the agriculture sector.

David-Abraham also called for the provision of special intervention funds to cater for the execution of various projects in agriculture faculties in Nigerian universities.

She said such intervention would assist the universities to meet up with the challenges of repositioning, to provide agriculture entrepreneurship skills to their graduates.

``Such intervention by government was needed to empower universities and various institutions of learning to spearhead an agrarian revolution with emphasis on practical agriculture to fight poverty and unemployment, `` she said.

David-Abraham disclosed that the recently concluded four-day workshop on agri-preneurship in partnership with the Landmark University, Omu-Aran, was aimed at attracting the youths to the sector.

She praised the institution's management for pursuing an agrarian revolutionary drive toward boosting food production, thereby raising the dignity of African populace.

``There is the need to involve the youths, through agri-preneurship, to showcase agriculture as a veritable driving force for fighting poverty and economic recovery, `` she said.