FUNAAB maps out food security strategies for Nigeria

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has set food security agenda for Federal Government in the areas of agricultural production and disaster management, including cassava production and intervention which earned it $18.8m award from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and $8m World Bank African Centre of Excellence in Agriculture on agricultural development and sustainable environment.

In recent times, FUNAAB has undertaken series of research on environmental management and agricultural production aimed at ensuring food security and curb excessive imports in order to correct unfavourable balance of payment and reduce pressure on Nigeria’s currency.

For the management of FUNAAB, the dream of its founding fathers – to become the reference point for a robust agricultural research that will guarantee food security and exports through production of food and cash crops as well as animals – is paying off with the new discoveries and production.

Although, the agriculture-based university has been carrying out researches since its inception, the new discoveries that the institution made in recent times as regards local rice production and domestication of Kenyan-bred goats, according to findings, would not only secure food for Nigerians, but would also put Nigeria in the comity of produce exporters if well pursued.

Others were N47.5m award from West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAPP-Nigeria) for agriculture-based research, production and development and European Meteorological Satellite (EUMETSAT), Germany licence to forecast weather and disseminate information to farming communities against disasters and food security.

This has, however, given birth to the new discoveries and engagements as embarked upon by the institution and which border on rice production, cattle and goat multiplication, cassava production and intervention, tomatoes and fruits plantations among others.

Speaking on the agriculture-based activities of the institution, Olusola Oyewole, vice chancellor, said that FUNAAB had begun a series robust research and massive production of agricultural produce as well as seeds, including two varieties of local rice aimed at ensuring food security and reducing rate of imports thereby cushioning high pressure on Nigeria’s currency.

Oyewole disclosed that FUNAAB, being the World Bank African Centre of Excellence in Agriculture, has made strong effort in agricultural research and production that would go a long way in helping African countries, especially Nigeria to fight food insecurity, saying the release of two varieties of local rice into Nigerian market would do a lot if government could support it.

Akin Omotayo, director, Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research, FUNAAB, said that the university had mapped out strategies on food security for the country through massive agricultural production and research, but if only every level of government could support them.

He said, “The two varieties of local rice that were released is out for farmers and I want to say that the university can only go to a certain length; government has to pick it up. Federal, state and local governments should empower farmers to be able to multiply, we are producing more seeds at our level here and the seeds are going to be released to farmers. It is that much we can do.

“At the federal level, we have agenda which is called ‘the Commercialisation of Agriculture’ and rice is one of the commodities that is being promoted at the national level, we have also keyed in, at our own level, to support government as much as possible to ensure that we do not import rice again in this country.”

On goats production, he said, “The other thing I want to mention is our local goat here, which is called the West-African dual goat. We have upgraded with the Kalahari red goat and you can see in the market that our local goat attracts very low price.

“At festivities, it is Sokoto red goat that people go for in the market, we are changing that image, in less than three years from now you will see home-made goats, what we call ‘Kalawhite’; that is a cross between Kalahari red goats and our own local goats that are superior to Sokoto red goats. You will start finding that in the market soon.”

Kayode Akinyemi, FUNAAB director of academic planning, revealed that FUNAAB had concluded plans to train a crop of Niger Delta militants in the area of agricultural production and development in collaboration with Federal Government, saying if the programme succeeded, there would be increase in gross domestic product and Nigeria would benefit greatly from it.

RAZAQ AYINLA