FUNAAB : HortiNigeria Trains Students, Staff On Commercial Onion Cultivation

As part of the efforts to meet the increasing demand for agricultural crops and mitigate food scarcity, HortiNigeria, in collaboration with Eweko Integrated Services and FUNAAB Hub has organised a Training Workshop for students and staff of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) on cultivating onions commercially in Southwest Nigeria.

During his lecture on onion farming, Mr. Abdullateef Otunba from Eweko Integrated Services debunked the myth that onions cannot be grown in the Southwest.

He highlighted successful examples of farmers in the region, noting that with HortiNigeria’s support, many have become prosperous onion farmers in the Southwest.

This was contained in a statement made available by Mr Olasunkami Olajide, the Acting Director, Directorate of Public Relations of the foremost University.

According to Olajide, “Mr. Otunba reassured participants about the marketability of onions, describing them as a high-demand commodity”.

He stressed that HortiNigeria aligned with the Dutch and Nigerian food security, including private sector development initiatives, focusing on empowering women and youth, as well as enhancing the social capital of smallholder farmers.

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The statement further stated that the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde in his opening remarks commended HortiNigeria and Eweko Integrated Services for their initiative.

“He encouraged participants to engage fully with the Workshop, affirming the University Management’s commitment to supporting Post-Training onion cultivation.

Prof. Kehinde noted that successful onion farming in Southwest Nigeria would lead to increased availability of the product and provide substantial employment opportunities”.

Meanwhile, Prof. Isaac Ayelaagbe, the Project Facilitator, in his Welcome Address, stressed the potential of Southwest’s vast lands for commercial onion farming, which would open new commercial avenues.

He acknowledged the fruitful partnership between HortiNigeria, Eweko Integrated Services and FUNAAB, highlighting the benefits for both FUNAAB students and staff.

He congratulated the participants for being selected and encouraged them to leverage the numerous advantages of onion cultivation.

The Workshop was well attended by students and staff from various Units, Departments, Directorates, and Colleges within the University.