The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kolawole Salako fielding questions from Journalists from the stable of Guardian Newspapers
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Kolawole Salako has declared that the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB has met the mandates upon which it was founded in its thirty years of existence and it is poise to make greater impact.
The Vice-Chancellor made the declaration during an interview with Journalists from the Guardian Newspaper, who paid an on the spot assessment visit of innovations and facilities put in place by the University for the development of Agriculture and advancement of the society.
During the interview, Professor Salako said, “FUNAAB has been playing its role in terms of multiplication of crops, improved animal breeds and boasts of a good Extension Unit to reach out to rural farmers within its immediate community.”
According to him, over the years, FUNAAB has keyed into the Federal Government clamour for diversification by contributing sizeably to food production and by also making cassava a growing cash crop.
Talking about the mandate and breakthrough of the University, he informed the team of Journalists that FUNAAB operates on Tripodal Mandate of Teaching, Research and Extension.
He listed the University’s breakthrough to include the FUNAAB Alpha, an improved breed of local Chicken; FUNAAB Palwine; and arrays of Cassava related products such a s the Odourless Fufu, FUNAAB Garri; Oil Palm; FUNAAB Bread and Whole Nut Cashew.
The Vice-Chancellor also said that FUNAAB is doing well in terms of production of Soy Beans which according to him, “Has been popularized by FUNAAB in Saki and Oke-Ogun area of Oyo State”.
Professor Salako revealed that the challenges limiting the University to go full scale in the production of the aforementioned items, in order to meet its immediate environments needs include shortfall in the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), of the University and paucity of fund from the Government.
He also said that lack of basic amenities such as constant power supply is also affecting the general production of the products.
The Vice-Chancellor stressed the need to make agriculture beautiful and get people to engage in it by providing the basic needs and enabling environment for it to thrive, especially, by developing the rural areas.
He tasked those who wants to engage in agriculture to have passion for it, and stressed that this will drive and motivate them to succeeding.
The Vice-Chancellor also harped on accountability in all responsibilities trusted into ones hand. Noting that with the meager allocation to education, if the cash is well managed, the effect will be felt among stakeholders.
Earlier, the Journalists were taken on a tour of the University Cassava Production Plant, Cashew Nut Plant, the FUNAAB Bakery, Palm-wine, Palm-Oil Production Plant, FUNAAB Alpha Breeding Farm and the Cattle Breeding Farm of the University.