At the University of Ilorin, its Faculty of Agriculture students have made a profound statement by organising the Farm Produce Market Day (FPMD), showcasing the abundant yield harvested from their cultivated lands to residents of Ilorin. This agricultural production initiative and development at the University of Ilorin, is a pointer to how all the agricultural departments in all universities in Nigeria are sitting on gold mine.
According to the Dean of the Faculty, Prof. Oluyemisi Fawole, selling fresh farm produce and quality animal products such as beef to the university community, is aimed at making them feel the impact of having a faculty of agriculture in their environs. “At first, I was apprehensive initially that people would show up, but we started seeing people trooping in even before the University management flagged off the sales”. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Technology and Innovation), Prof. Adegboyega Fawole, who was on ground for assessment, commended the level of passion among the agriculture students as well as their lecturers, and expressed hope that such will be done often so that both the university and its community would benefit from what they produce.
The President of National Association of Agriculture Students (NAAS), Bello Jamiu also commended this first attempt of showcasing their produce, stating that it is a beacon of inspiration for other educational institutions across Nigeria to follow suit. Some of the farm produce on display include; vegetables, cereals, processed food items to curb food post harvest losses, cat fish, goats, chicken, among others. The success of Unilorin’s FPMD underscores the untapped potential within academic institutions across the country and how university resources can be leveraged on to ensure food security even at surrounding community levels through the provision of locally sourced food.
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