Date: 2016-09-04

*VC urges government to invest in agric

Eight hundred and seventy-four students yesterday graduated with first-class degree from the Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin, Kwara State.

Twenty-one of the graduates came out with first-class degree honours, Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Mohammed-Taofeek Ibrahim, has said. According to the VC, "The breakdown also shows that 207 had second-class upper division, 413 with second-class lower division, 207 with third-class and 24 had pass degree." The vice chancellor said this at the 6th convocation ceremony of the faith-based institution.

He urged government at all levels to leverage on the limitless potentials in agriculture to turnaround the current economic hardship in the country and create massive job opportunities. He also recommended to all tiers of government, the establishment of agric mechanisation support camps in between specific areas of land coverage.

His words: "Through such camps, farmers will have access to modern farm implements like clearing and grading caterpillars, planting machines and high yield seedlings and other technical support by agric experts from universities and polytechnics and by extension workers from the ministry. "I suggest that President Muhammadu Buhari should set up a model prototype to test run this recommendation. In addition, seed capital should be readily available for the local farmers for agro-business."

If adopted, the VC said the "template will land us into the desirable future of the needed forward and backward linkages between the agricultural and industrial sectors." He revealed that the management of the university would invest a sum of N80 million in farming in the 2016/2017 fiscal year.

He said, a nation that cannot feed itself is a poor one. A nation that relies on importation of food items is also precarious and not secured." He also condemned a situation where the country still remains a mono-cultural economy, five decades after independence.