The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor AbdulGaniyu Ambali, has decried the persistent massive food importation to the country despite the abundance of rich agricultural potentials , describing the situation as a national embarrassment.

The Vice-Chancellor spoke at the 27th Annual Conference of the Farm Management Association of Nigeria (FAMAN) which held at the University of Ilorin with the theme "Nigerian Agriculture and Economic Development: The Way Forward."

Represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Management Services), Prof. Yisa Fakunle, the Vice-Chancellor noted that the nation's economy is now almost 90 percent dependent on oil and gas for GDP and foreign exchange earnings.

Calling on the government to address the alarming situation, Ambali said, "I am happy to note that there is currently renewed national interest in agriculture by the Federal Government as an instrument of poverty alleviation and sustainable development." According to him, "This has become imperative because before the discovery of oil, agriculture was our major source of wealth while farming was our primordial occupation. In view of this, let it be established or re-established that well managed farms will yield economic returns in the developing world as it is in the developed world. It becomes imperative for this country to go back to its origin in agriculture; Nigeria must go back to farming. Both the rich and the poor must be involved in farming to actualise the country's potentials in poverty alleviation and economic development."

He noted that "oil is now being discovered in different parts of the world including many countries in Africa, like Ghana, Sudan and Mozambique," saying, "This has implication for the economy as it is only a matter of time when oil and gas will no longer be the black gold of  development."

He maintained that stakeholders have a role to play in agricultural development whose paramount objective is achieving food security.

The Vice-Chancellor therefore urged FAMAN to integrate its activities of research, training, teaching and dissemination of information on how existing farms could be properly managed and how emerging farms will be more productive and economically viable in order to achieve sustainable development in the agricultural sector.

"I believe this will go a long way in poverty alleviation and contributing to the success of resourceful farmers as well as the Nigerian nation at large," Ambali said, adding that "I want the National Executive Committee of FAMAN to institute a synergy with the Local Organising Committee in the University of Ilorin to achieve a common goal of economic development now and in the future as this will be of great benefits to our activities at home and abroad."

The Vice-Chancellor stressed that with deliberate efforts and total commitment of all stakeholders, it is a matter of time for the return of groundnut pyramids, cotton bales, cocoa sacks and palm oil drums for consumption and export by our farmers".

In her welcome address, the President of FAMAN, Prof. (Mrs.) Dicta Ogisi, described the 27th Annual Conference of the Association as a "home coming" because the body was established at the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, in 1984.

Ogisi noted that the theme of the 2013 Conference was prompted by the drive for improved productivity, profitability, food security and agriculture driven rapid economic development, which will reduce poverty in order to attain the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG 1).

While appreciating the management of the University of Ilorin for the support in hosting the conference, the FAMAN President lauded the institution for its standards, noting that Unilorin was one of the five universities that emerged in the ranking of the best 100 Universities in Africa.