The VC, Prof. Olusola Oyewole using his hand as a symbol of collaboration during the visit while his host and Ogun State Comm. for Agric., Engr. Ayobami Olubori and other top govt. functionaries listen with keen interest.
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Ogun State on Wednesday had a discussion on how to collaborate in the areas of Research, Extension Services and Capacity Building for Staff and Farmer. This was the climax of the courtesy visit of FUNAAB’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole to the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Ayobami Olubori.
The Vice-Chancellor actually set the ball rolling, noting in his presentation that despite being neighbours in the State, and coupled with similar roles and responsibilities as agriculture based institutions, there is little or no synergy of broad-based collaborations between FUNAAB and the Ministry.
Professor Oyewole was hosted at the Conference Room of the Ministry and in attendance were top government functionaries, Principal Officers and Directors of essential services of FUNAAB.
Describing the missing link as a gap that must be bridged for the benefit of the people of the State and the nation at large, Professor Oyewole comfortably articulated many areas in which the University is seeking collaboration.
According to him, the areas include; Commercial Agriculture, Capacity Building, Training, Horticulture, Livestock Production and Processing.
He stressed that, it also includes Plantation Development, Seed Production, Food Processing, Aquaculture and Fish Processing, Research and Extension Services, Graduate Farming Employment Scheme (GRADFES) and Community Based Farming Scheme (COBFAS).
Professor Oyewole pointed out that since “we have a commitment to use our knowledge for the development of the State and the people, we are challenging the Ministry of Agriculture to collaborate with us in the areas that I just mentioned as well as others which are in line with our mandate”.
Rising up to the challenge, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Ayobami Olubori in his response declared, “The unique schemes and the areas of collaborations which the Vice-Chancellor mentioned perfectly fitted into the policy thrust of the Ministry of Agriculture”.
He stressed, “We are actually in search of agencies that will collaborate with us in the areas you mentioned. I am happy that FUNAAB don’t have ‘Brain Drain’, but now, we have ‘Youth Drain’ in agriculture. We can also collaborate towards checking this menace. I agree with you that the need for collaboration is now”.
Setting the template for collaboration, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Ayodele Koleade informed of the Vice-Chancellor’s and the Commissioner for Agriculture’s decisions that a 10-man Committee, comprising of five representatives of FUNAAB and the Ministry of Agriculture be constituted to formulate and draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the proposed collaboration.
His words, “To really stimulate and ensure synergy, a committee will be constituted to put up a communiqué and Memorandum of Understanding to collaborate in the areas of research, extension services and capacity building for staff and farmers.
This committee will comprise of five key staff of FUNAAB, five key staff of this Ministry because we don’t want this exercise to be a kind of talk shop. Let this be a right step in the right direction. Therefore, all hands must be on deck to really ensure we implement what we have discussed here today”.
Notably in attendance was a graduate of FUNAAB who is the Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture, Mr. Tosin Ademuyiwa who disclosed that three other products of the University are presently serving as Special Assistants to Governor Ibikunle Amosun.