From Lateef Dada, Osogbo
A university don, Prof Olaniyi Fawole, has stressed the need for academics to engage in research with a view to solving the problems of food insecurity in Nigeria.
Fawole who is a Professor of Postharvest Crop Preservation from the University of Johannesburg, South Africa, stated that those in the academic environment have a huge role to play if the country is to attain food sufficiency.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the Faculty of Science, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Wednesday, Fawole posited that the government alone should not be blamed for food insufficiency.
He stressed that those in the academic field need to show the government through research that they are capable of solving the problem, saying that Agriculture should serve as a business opportunity and not a side hustle.
He said, “We have a problem of food insecurity in Nigeria and the goal here was to enlighten the people on how we can contribute our quota to solving the issue.
“We are not only trying to address the problem but using it as a tool for economic transformation because wherever there is hunger, there is also poverty and it means that sustainable development goal 1 and goal 2 are together.
“Often time, we always blame the government for everything that is not going well but we in the academia have a role to play. In fact, our roles are more significant in terms of knowledge creation. If we want to transform the Agricultural sector, enhance the value chain, and compete on the global stage, then we need science and technology.
“We need to build world-class facilities, train the young generation of scientists, and look at how we can have that business mindset that Agriculture is not just something you do as a side hustle but a business opportunity.
“We as Academia need to be specific about what we want to do. It means that we need to show that we are capable. I believe the government is willing to provide the funds once they see the willingness and capability to address this problem.”
in his welcome address, the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Olufemi Adesina, said the seminar was organized to brainstorm on how to tackle food insecurity in the country.
“We are facing food challenges in this country and we believe that if we invite people who have the prerequisite knowledge in the academia and have merged it up with experience in the industry, perhaps, it can point in the right direction for us.
“The message is for our students not to wait for the government to provide jobs for them. With Agriculture, there are many untapped opportunities that they can leverage on,” Adesina said.