The Department of Computer Science of the University has organised a one-day sensitisation workshop on “Intelligent Animal Tracking and Pastoral Management”, for farmers within and outside the University community. Declaring the workshop open, the Head, Department of Physics, College of Physical Sciences (COLPHYS), Prof. Biodun Badmus, who represented the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako, said that the essence of the workshop was to integrate resources within the University for the benefit of all, adding that the University was expecting much results from researchers, hoping that the workshop would produce useful outcome in the areas of animal tracking.
The Head, Department of Computer Science, Prof. Olusegun Folorunso said that embarking on the research was a right move in the right direction. He added that the topic for discussion was as old as man, even though there was no technology to back it up then, but which is what researchers were now trying to put in place. He stressed the importance of developing technology to manage animal tracking, saying such would go a long way at benefitting both the government and local farmers. According to him, tracking would facilitate easy and quick location of livestock, thereby avoiding loss, theft, prevent wandering of animals, ensuring food security and helping to eliminate the recurring clashes between crop farmers and herdsmen in the country.
The Director, Information and Communication Resource Centre (ICTREC), the Prof. Adesina Agboola, appreciated the organisers for planning such a workshop that would change the traditional ways of doing things to a more advanced approach. The Dean of COLPHYS, Prof. Adio Akinwale, also expressed his delight over the workshop and appealed to the University Management to keep supporting programmes that would improve its internally-generated revenue drive. The workshop, which afforded participants an opportunity to get information on animal tracking methods and devices, was attended by farmers and researchers within and outside the University.
