FUTA EXPANDS AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH TO CURB FOOD INSECURITY

The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, has intensified investments in agriculture and technology-driven food production as part of renewed efforts to address Nigeria’s worsening food insecurity crisis.

The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection of ongoing projects on campus, noting that several of the initiatives are being supported through funding from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

According to her, the university is deliberately repositioning its agricultural development strategy to align with its mandate as a technology-driven institution.

“We have gone round the farm and, as a university of technology with strong roots in agriculture, engineering and the sciences, we believe we must do things differently to contribute meaningfully to solving the food crisis in the country,” she said.

Oladiji explained that FUTA is expanding its agricultural infrastructure in line with its vision of strengthening national food production, particularly in poultry and crop value chains.

She noted that with support from TETFund, the university had revived its previously moribund poultry farm and embarked on expansion.

“What drives our vision is clear. With TETFund support, we now have the resources to scale up. The poultry farm, which was once inactive, has been revived and expanded. We started with about 150 birds,” she said.

The Vice-Chancellor added that production has since grown significantly, with capacity increased from 150 birds to 500, then 1,000, and now an additional 4,500 birds.

She said the development is aimed at positioning FUTA as a major player in poultry production within Ondo State and beyond.

Oladiji further disclosed that the institution now operates a feed mill where students are trained in modern agricultural production and value addition.

She explained that the university has moved beyond the traditional practice of selling raw produce to adopting a more industrial and value-oriented agricultural model.

“In the past, we produced maize and sold it in raw form. But we realised that, as a university, we should go beyond that.

“Now we train students on how to produce maize, process it into animal feed through our feed mill, and compound different categories of feed for various livestock, including broilers, layers, turkeys and fish. We are also expanding into crop production, including greenhouse farming,” she said.

She added that greenhouse facilities are now being used to support all-year-round cultivation of crops such as bell peppers.

According to her, many of the university’s agricultural projects are designed to meet the needs of students, researchers, and international collaborators who frequently visit the institution.

Oladiji also said the university has constructed a dedicated accommodation facility for visiting researchers and accreditation teams, aimed at addressing previous challenges of inadequate lodging.

“We host researchers, accreditation panels and scholars from different parts of the world, and it became necessary to provide befitting accommodation for them,” she stated.

Projects inspected during the visit include a locally fabricated greenhouse, hostel facilities, teaching and research farms, as well as laboratory and museum infrastructure.