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Of Yaradua, Ibadan and the Food Crisis

Written by Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth

Sunday, 18 May 2008

Africa's most prominent Farmer, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo former Nigerian President and once vice chairman of the World food summit in Rome, looked at Africa and perhaps thought about the All Africa games, the commonwealth games and even the world Cup and so committed 50 billion naira for the contruction of a National Stadium and associated structures in Abuja. But soccer star George weah in his message at one of the world food summits in Rome said that more food in Africa would lead to better football in Europe.

I also feel that it would lead to better Rocket science in the U.S because when children eat properly their brains are well formed and they are better able to handle subjects like mathematics and physics.

On the intermediate term and the long term, starting with 50 billion Naira, I would like to suggest that the Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yaradua should organise a village square meeting or if you like an agriculture summit in Ibadan to address the food crisis in Nigeria.

Why Ibadan? Because Ibadan has the highest number of agricultural research institutes in Nigeria. Some of these include the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria(CRIN) which is also into coffee, Tea, Cashew and Kola nuts. There is the National Institute of Horticultural Research and trainng(NIHORT), Stored Products Research Institute(SPRI), National Cereals Research Institute(NCRI), Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria(FRIN), National Biotecnology Development Agency(NABDA). Ibadan also has relevant bodies like the Federal college of Animal Health and Reproduction a, a tractor manufacturing plant and Agricutlure related NGOs.

Furthermore, Ibadan has the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture(IITA) which has been described as an America in Nigeria. Some have described it as being to Agriculture in Nigeria what the Silicon Valley in United States is to the world of Information technology. On a tour of IITA sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency(CIDA) a few years back we were informed that the late Shehu Musa Yaradua, then toying with the idea of becoming Nigerian President, paid a visit to IITA. Umaru Musa Yaradua, should perhaps take off from where his elder brother stopped.

There is of course a need to mention the University of Ibadan with a noted Israeli trained expert in the Department of Agricultural Engineering. He is very practical . We could make better use of him. The Israelis have converted a Desert into a greenland, are exporting food from the Desert and they increased agricultural yield by a factor of 14 . The highest in the world. Then there is the faculty of Agriculture where promotion is based on papers published and not the food you produce.

Same with the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. This issue has been explored, for instance in the Inaugural Lecture titled, PARASITES KILLING US SOFTLY, by the Veterinarian, Professor Adelani Ogunrinade. Amongst other issues he mentioned the fact of an increasing number of Professors in a particilar Faculty of Veterinaty Medicine with a disproportionate number of chickens in the University teaching and research Farm. He also spoke about high prestige research with low practical value and low prestige research with High Practical Value. Speaking in parables on this matter, one of the professors at the University of Ibadan had affirmed that if you bring up a child who is free of congenital problems in the midst of those who are deaf mute, you might find that the child would never learn how to speak.

I think we should allow the Professors of Agriculure at U.I to police themselves. The Debate rages on. Located in Ibadan is the Institute of Agricultural Research and training as owned by the Obafemi Awolowo university, Ile Ife, Osun State, which currently has as Vice-Chancellor, Profesor Michael Faborode, ex President of the west African association of Agricultural engineers. With Fourteen Technological innovations to his credit, one wonders what Professor Faborode is doing in the office as the V.C of OAU. He should be confined to a workshop if only to come up with more inventions and also to supervise more students of Agric emngineering.

Ex V.C. of OAU Professor Wale Omole should be invited to this summit not because he has been an acclaimed animal scientist, for his knowledge would already have been been outdated whilst serving as V.C. He would be invited because of his experience in Information Technology as it concerns a research oriented organisation. As V.C. he is credited with helping to set up the largest information technology network in Nigeria there at the Obafemi Awolowo University. These research Institutes in Ibadan need to be linked together via Information Technology so that they can collaborate in an effective and efficient manner.

Augustine Togonu-Bickersteth writes in from London, England

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Comments (1)

1. 24-05-2008 01:47

global food crisis

it is no gain saying that though there are many causes of global food crisis recently known as the 'silent tsunami' but the major cause is the greed and inconsiderate attitude of the american government in remaining the world power. it has been shaken in the past by the oil producing countries through the cartel of opec and presently is passing through serious threat of embargo on its importation of oil especially by the middle east countries thus it would'nt want to be bitten twise shy. however its policy of converting our God given food into bio-fuels is carlous. it should reconsider its policy on this as it would cause a serious problem in the third world countries and negate its policy of enhancing development in these countries. if this is not checkmated this might lead to a third world war which would be between the third world countires and the developed countries in the world. !the west should BEWARE!

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