By Tofunmi Adebayo
A don in the Department of Agricultural and Bio-Resources Engineering, College of Engineering (COLENG), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Engr. (Prof.) Alex Folami Adisa has advocated agricultural machinery engineering for food security in Nigeria.
Speaking as the University’s 88th Inaugural Lecturer on the title, “Agricultural Machinery Engineering: A Key Towards Sustainable National Food Security and Industrial Development,” at the expansive Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building today, March 20, 2024, Prof. Adisa called for concerted national efforts to tackle food insecurity in Nigeria.
According to him, “Any nation that cannot provide enough food for its citizens is in grave danger,” stressing the crucial role of agricultural machinery engineering in ensuring sustainable national food security and industrial development.
Speaking as an experienced Professor of Agricultural Engineering, Engr. Adisa underscored the grave danger facing any nation incapable of providing adequate food for its populace.
He urged Nigeria to harness its abundant skilled human resources and leverage successful research outcomes from the nation’s research institutions to fortify food security and industrial growth.
Highlighting the potential benefits, Prof. Adisa projected that such initiatives would significantly curtail unemployment, engage the nation’s workforce and youth productively, ultimately leading to a reduction in hunger and crime rates plaguing Nigeria today.
Drawing attention to the educational landscape, he proposed a reversal of some elective courses back into core subjects within the agricultural engineering curriculum.
This, he argued, would enrich students’ learning experiences and equip them better for the challenges ahead.
Besides, Prof. Adisa called upon the College of Engineering to spearhead collaborative efforts among staff across various research domains to refine and commercialise successful projects.
He noted the importance of modern equipment provision to facilitate efficient commercial production of these innovations, thus benefiting both local communities and the nation at large.
Prof. Adisa stressed the critical role of mechanised farm operations in stimulating youth participation and increasing income from agricultural production, stating the examples ranging from precision planting technologies to post-harvest processing innovations, all geared towards optimising agricultural productivity and improving livelihoods.
The 88th Inaugural Lecturer further highlighted ingenious solutions such as a prototype drilling rig powered by agricultural machinery, a novel floating fish cage system, and technical assessments of farm equipment performance, as initiatives that underscore the importance of innovation and collaboration in addressing Nigeria’s food security challenges.
He, therefore, called for national collaboration, innovation, and investment in agricultural machinery engineering as a cornerstone for achieving sustainable food security and industrial development in Nigeria.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde appreciated the large turnout of guests at the event, adding that the 88th Inaugural Lecturer was a member of several Professional Bodies, some of which were the Nigerian Institutions of Agricultural Engineers, and the Polish Society of Agricultural Engineers.
The Vice-Chancellor, however, looked forward to the 89th Inaugural Lecture to be delivered by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Olukayode Akinyemi.
