Follow Us on Google
By: Daniel Kanu
The Director of the Agribusiness Incubation Centre at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Dr Philips Nto, has advocated aggressive farming by all adult Nigerians as a practical step towards curbing food insecurity.
He said Nigerians must farm what they eat and eat what they farm ‘if they are to overcome the existential threat of food shortages’.
Speaking when he received some farmers in his office, Nto enjoined Nigerians to ensure that they farmed, even at home, to raise basic foods such as vegetables, yam, and cassava.
He noted that his centre has been at the forefront of educating Nigerians on the basics of home farming to meet their individual needs.
Nto noted further that the initiative of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for people to raise gardens within the vicinity of their homes perfectly aligns with the philosophy of the Agribusiness Incubation Centre (ABIC).
‘I believe the First Lady has blazed the trail for Nigerians. ABIC has also been propagating the same thing through radio programmes and physical training activities,’ he submitted.
Dr Nto, a former Commissioner for Finance in Abia State, declared that, given the vast arable land available to Nigerians and the glut of manpower, they have no reason to complain of hunger.
Other News
He said that while the government has the responsibility to create the enabling environment for mechanised and commercial farming, most Nigerians should be able to grow their own food from home.
He disclosed that, as a means of encouraging farming and agriculture generally, ABIC would be organising competitions among farmers in various communities and local government areas.
According to him, ‘In my own community of Ututu, I have instituted an annual award for the best male and female farmers with a cash award of one million naira, just to motivate them.’
The Director, who is also the immediate past Provost of Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu, said ABIC would partner with notable agribusiness giants for sponsorship of such competitions at the state level.
He commended the farmers for visiting ABIC to see things for themselves, saying that MOUAU Vice-Chancellor, Prof Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, has provided all the enabling environment for the optimum performance of the centre.
Earlier, the leader of the farmers, Chief Ogba Nwokoro, lauded Dr Nto for the able manner in which he has piloted the affairs of ABIC since his appointment as the Director.
He noted that Abia people had benefited immensely from the educative radio programmes mounted by ABIC and urged the Director to find a way of physically reaching remote areas and preaching the gospel of agriculture to them.
Nwokoro, who is a retired Permanent Secretary in Abia State, said they were satisfied with what they had learnt from ABIC through the visit.
