The Senior Special Assistant to the Ondo state governor on Agric and Agricbusiness, Pastor Akin Olotu, has been conferred with the Pillar of Agriculture and Agricbusiness Award by the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, (AAUA) Akoko in Ondo state.
The Board of the Faculty of Agriculture of the University also honoured Chief Isaac Sunday Tapere for the pioneer award for Commercial Vegetable crops production and Prof. Taiwo Amos who was also recognised for his contribution towards the growth and development of the Faculty on Thursday June 22, 2023, at the ceremony held at the University premises.
Speaking at the event, Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Olugbenga Ige who was represented by Prof. Akinnawonu Benson appreciated the faculty, saying their choice of awardees showed their perfection in their various areas.
He said the institution has been able to send over 25 lecturers abroad to conduct research, noting that the caliber of research systems that impacts on the society is what contributes to the rating of an institution which has earned the university the best state university in the country.
The Guest Lecturer, Prof. Taiwo Timothy Amos, from the Federal University of Technology Akure, FUTA, while presenting a lecture tittled “Sustainable Agricultural Transformation in the face of Emerging Technology and Global Insecurity”, said people should engage in a sustainable manner for future generations.
He stated that agriculture can only be truly sustainable, if it is able to meet the needs of the present to the future generation.
While describing insecurity as a big problem that needs to be tackled, he emphasized the need for people to expose themselves to reality of life and think of how to create jobs for themselves.
Reacting on the honour bestowed on him, the Governor’s Aide, Pastor Akin Olotu advised the university authority to adopt integrated farming system, promising the provision of a minimum of 20 hectares of land for the project.
Olotu also charged the institution to establish a Quarry and a Wood processing factory for exportation in order to earn foreign exchange.
Declaring the state government’s determination using the Red Gold project to turn the state into the Malaysia oil production, Olotu urged the institution to present 10 interested students who wants to have quality SWISS experience in oil production.
The Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Olubunmi Agbaje in his opening remarks, said the lecture is the first edition of the Faculty’s Annual lecture since 10 years of its existence.
Expressing the importance of the event, Agbaje observed that wisdom improved the society rather than deploying violence which will not take the society anywhere.
He described the lecturer as a man who has exhibited enormous wisdom in his activities and called on young academics to learn from him whose character, he said is worthy of emulation.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman , Faculty of Agriculture Lectures’ Committee, Prof. Francis Gbore said the programme is an initiative to provide a veritable platform for players and stakeholders to galvanize forces, speak and interrogate on burning issues.
The lecture, he said, marked the beginning of a new approach by the country to achieve sustainable development goals in the agricultural sector.
“This becomes necessary in the face of the government renewed efforts to diversify the revenue base and make the country competitive in food and agricultural production, feed the increasing population of hungry people and generate employment and wealth in the sector,” he stated.
