A Professor of Agricultural Extension, Professor Akin Omotayo has stressed the need to entrench Sustainable Agricultural Development plan in Nigeria, in order to enhance the nation’s economic and national development.
Professor Omotayo said this while delivering his Keynote Address at the Second Edition of Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) Stakeholders Meeting, titled “Sustainable Agricultural Development: A Veritable Tool for Economic and National Development.”
The Don who made several cases for the development of Agriculture and National development lamented that young people are becoming increasingly apathetic and demonstrating completes lack of interest in farming.
The immediate past Director, Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR) encouraged the South Western part of Nigeria to braze up in farming system and culture.
He frowned at the attitude of the South-West towards dependence on other regions for importation of food items, a culture which, according to him has rendered the region vulnerable to food insecurity than any other part of Nigeria.
“The South Western part of Nigeria continues to depend increasingly on imported food items and food from other regions of Nigeria”, he noted.
To achieve Sustainable Agricultural Development, he charged developing countries to come to grips with the falling per capital output on food production and resources degradation while calling for strategic plans that incorporate population concerns such as population growth, distribution and rural-urban migration patterns.
He noted that Sustainable Development Strategies which combat soil erosion and impoverishment, deforestation, falling agricultural output and poor water management should also be implemented.
Professor Omotayo stressed that support must be given to research on the integration of traditional and emerging technologies for food production, stressing that whoever wish to raise cattle should invest in land acquisition, pasture development and settle down to operate their cattle farms as business just like their counterparts in crop farming.
In his Opening Address, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kolawole Salako represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Development), Professor Lateef Sanni urged government to look into diversification of various sectors of the economy so as to attain good economic growth.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, “The goal of sustainable agriculture is to meet society’s food and textile needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Earlier in her Welcome Address, the Director (AMREC), Professor (Mrs.) Dorcas Adegbite, reiterated that the objectives of the agricultural stakeholders’ forum is to develop further research with respect to identifying challenges and needs of farmers.
“The objectives of this Forum are to appraise the activities of various researchers within and outside the University, and recommend the way forward to sustainable Agricultural Research Extension and Production in Nigeria,” she added.
The forum drew participants and stakeholders from the University and across relevant agencies of government in Ogun State.
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