By Augustine Osemeke, Abigail Akinsulire & Joy Tyotsugh
A Professor of Agricultural Engineering, Emilolorun Ambrose Aiyelari, has called on the Federal Government to bring back ranches across the country.
Prof Aiyelari from the Department of Soil Resources Management, University of Ibadan, made the call while delivering a paper titled: “Agricultural Production in Nigeria: No reason for insufficiency” at Augustine University, llara-Epe, Lagos State on Wednesday.
The lecture was first in the series of lined up annual lectures in Agriculture/ Horticulture in honour of late Mrs Frederica Abimbola Aina Omololu-Mulele .
Aiyelari observed that the Herders-Farmers clashes across the country had claimed many lives and was similarly affecting food production.
He noted that Nigeria shouldn’t have any excuse for insufficiency in Agriculture “considering our good arable land and good weather”.
His words: “If the ranches created across the country by the founding fathers of the nation are revitalised, there would be no more open grazing, and the farmers would then have the confidence to return to their farms”.
The university don lamented that “there are over 70.4 million hectares of arable land across the country that are currently under utilised”.
He called for improved funding of Agriculture while also noting that the nation’s Strategic Grain Reserve Storage is underperforming.
He urged the government not to relent in efforts at curbing banditry and insurgency, including Boko Haram.
He urged fresh graduates from Nigerian universities to take to agriculture as part of efforts to improve food production in the country.
Dignitaries at the lecture included the Alara of Ilara Kingdom, Oba Olufolarin Kayode Ogunsanwo, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Christopher Odetunde, the Registrar, Mrs Margaret Aziba as well as all the Principal officers of AUI and Deans of Faculties.
