Professor Adebayo Shittu of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD) of the Federal University of Agricultural Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has won an international grant to the tune of Euros 118,956 from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Professor Shittu stated that a proposal titled, “Incentivising Adoption of Climatic Smart Practices in Cereals Production in Nigeria: Sociocultural and Economic Diagnosis”, was prepared by his team to apply for the funding in collaboration with the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Niger State, following the Call for Proposal on “Innovative Projects for Food and Nutrition Security in West Africa”, courtesy of the Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF), Support Programme for Food and Nutrition Security in West Africa (PASANAO), with the funding assistance from the French Development Agency (AFD).
Professor Shittu noted that the nation-wide study sought to evaluate the socio-economic impacts of adopting Climate Smart Practices (CSPs), in maize and rice production, adding that it was also to Identify appropriate mechanisms by which wide-spread adoption of CSPs might be incentivised to stop or reverse land degradation, evaluate the restoration of ecosystem health, enhance livelihood outcomes and build resilience to climate change using the examples of rice and maize farmers in Nigeria, while the duration of the project is one year, which ends in October 2017.
The Professor Agricultural and Resource Economics further stated that members of his research team comprise Professor Oluwakemi Fapojuwo, Department of Agricultural Administration; Dr. Bolarinwa Senjobi, Department of Soil Science and Land Management; Dr. Thomas Fabunmi, Department of Plant Physiology and Crop Production; Dr. Dare Akerele, Department of Agricultural Extension and Farm Management; and Dr. Rahman Sanusi, also from AEFM. Others are Dr. Abiodun Obayelu and Dr. Elizabeth Oluwalana, from the Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC), while the collaborating scientists from NCRI include Dr. Saliu Tiamiyu; Miss Uduma Ugalahi; and Mr. Jude Eze.