The Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), Prof. Olusola Babatunde Kehinde, on Wednesday asserted that the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta has given the nation a lot of Agricultural revitalization.
Speaking at the Press Conference as part of the activities to mark the 32nd Convocation Ceremonies of the foremost University, the Vice Chancellor emphasised that a lot of funds have been pushed to the university research institute to enhance the country’s agriculture development.
He praised the federal government for trusting the university and supporting it with funds to execute projects.
Prof. Kehinde stated during the press conference to herald the 32nd Convocation ceremony of the institution is leaving no stone unturned and giving all it takes to revitalise the agriculture sector in such a commercial quantity that will be sufficient for the country.
“I can categorically tell you that our research approach and commitment is the best in Nigeria. All our research proposals sent to TETFUND were approved.
Research activities have been intensified with academic staff accessing the TETFund Institutional-Based Research Grant of about N185m, an elated Kehinde asserted.
“Ten of our researchers won grants from the National Research Fund to the tune of N311m in year 2023. It may interest our distinguished audience that FUNAAB was ranked as the sixth best performer among Nigerian Higher Education Institutions in this regard”.
“Our academic staff won externally-funded research grants worth twenty-five thousand pounds (£25,000) and one hundred and ninety-eight thousand Euros (€198,000). We did not stop at winning grants, our University participated actively in the TETFund-sponsored 2023 TETFund Alliance for Innovative Research (TETFAIR) Programme where FUNAAB performed excellently well.
Speaking further, Kehinde said : ‘’Two Innovations which emanated from our Research Programmes were submitted by the University – ANimeDRrig and Nimtrack, and they were accepted and adjudged suitable for the next stage of the programme out of the over 2,400 innovations submitted by all Higher Institutions in the country”.
Our students and staff have been up and doing especiall on research. Some of our scientists won research grants. Our research team has given Nigeria agriculture hope and revitalization, he boasted.
“As at 2024 when everyone was lamenting on scarcity of food, FUNAAB went into farming, and we have lot of harvest and we feed the nation”.
The VC further explained that the university has partnered with state government and other corporate organisations in the country to open up the lands within the institution’s campus to enable it to contribute its quota to alleviate challenges of food scarcity in the country.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that the institution in line with the vision of President Bola Tinubu’s administration of tackling food security headlong, has reactivated staff farming scheme, and allocated farmlands to interested staff.
“We have started commercial production of plantain suckers using micro and macro propagation techniques. We have also embarked on commercial production of fish fingerlings, juveniles and table size. Also we have commenced commercial production of broilers for frozen chicken just as we have also been producing rabbits in commercial quantities”.
We had also collaborated with CWAY to train our students, bringing them in as intern because we don’t only teach, we also allow our students to get adequate training outside the school premises”.
“In line with the vision of President Tinubu’s administration of tackling food security headlong, we have reactivated staff farming scheme and have allocated farm lands to interested staff”.
Highlighting some of the recent repositioning efforts, the Vice- Chancellor said, “The FUNAAB Integrated Ventures has been strengthened and made to expand its scope of operation. The Wood Processing Unit of the University has been revitalized and various wood products are being produced. Eucalyptus tree nursery has been established for commercial production of the tree. We planted two thousand seedlings of teak trees last year and we intend to plant additional three thousand this year. Eventually, we hope to establish a saw-milling plant this year”.
Speaking on the feat recorded by the institution in the last two years, Prof. Kehinde said, “Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta has emerged the best University of Agriculture in Africa and the 7th in the World as ranked by the Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 World University Rankings (WUR)”.
“While basking in the euphoria of the above feat, we added another feather to our already bedecked cap by another ranking organization – Study Abroad Aide (SAA) which, by its latest ranking, put our University in the 11th position as the Best valued University for International Students among 149 Universities in Nigeria”.
On the graduation, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that a total of 3,567 students are graduating with Bachelor’s Degrees in various disciplines.
“Out of these, a total of 120 graduate with First Class Honours Degree, 1,626 in the Second Class Upper Division, 1,624 in the Second Class Lower Division, while 164 had Third Class Degrees. The remaining 33 graduands earned the Veterinary Medicine Degree, which is not categorized/classified”.
