Last Updated on June 11, 2025 by Olasunkanmi Olajide

By Aduragbemi Oke

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) has welcomed a team of scholars from Virginia State University (VSU), United States, under the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Programme (CADFP). The Two-Month Fellowship, which spans June to July 2025, was centred on a collaborative project titled Benchmarking Virginia State University’s Land-Grant Programmes Against the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta’s Agriculture Programmes and Unlocking the Potential of Integrating U.S. Land-Grant Experiences with Nigerian Home-Grown Farm Practices.

The visit was aimed at strengthening co-curriculum development and FUNAAB’s capacity to deliver on its tripartite mandate of Teaching, Research, and Extension Services in line with global best practices. Through the partnership, the University seeks to position its agricultural programmes within internationally recognised educational standards while promoting home-grown innovations that resonate with local realities.

A key thrust of the initiative was to enhance the technical capabilities of FUNAAB’s agriculture faculty, foster knowledge exchange, and establish a hybrid food value chain model that integrates local industry actors. The project also seeks to raise awareness among Nigerian youth about the vast educational and career opportunities in modern agriculture and encourage adult mentoring systems within the sector.

The collaboration would further enable FUNAAB to benefit from the vast land-grant resources of the U.S., particularly those from the Virginia Cooperative Extension, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and relevant private-sector stakeholders. By incorporating instructional, research, and extension activities into a unified delivery framework, the project aims to enrich student learning experiences and accelerate FUNAAB’s vision of global academic relevance in agriculture.

Speaking during a Courtesy Visit by the team today, June 10, 2025, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, reaffirmed the University’s commitment to building partnerships both locally and internationally. He described the CADFP as a welcome initiative that aligns with the University’s vision to engage global partners for mutual benefit and development.

Prof. Kehinde highlighted the University’s crop of dedicated scientists, researchers, and lecturers whose works span various aspects of agricultural science. He noted that the project would open avenues for the exchange of ideas, knowledge sharing, and exposure to global perspectives. He also encouraged the visiting team to explore the University’s facilities and the cultural landscape of Ogun State.

Responding, one of the visiting Fellows from VSU, Prof. Richard Omotoye, commended FUNAAB’s leadership and infrastructural progress. He stressed the need to modernise agricultural education in response to rapidly evolving global trends and proposed curriculum benchmarking as a vital step in ensuring graduates were equipped with skills that meet international standards.

Also in attendance was the Host Fellow and the Provost, Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan (FCAIB), Prof. Jonathan Atungwu, including the other African Diaspora Fellow, Prof. Laban Rutto, as well as the Dean, College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD), Prof. Emmanuel Fakoya, in addition to the Director, Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP), Prof. Mutiu Busari, among others.

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