The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole on Wednesday took the ongoing sensitization of stakeholders and the general public on the Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the University to the airwaves.

For sixty minutes FUNAAB ruled the frequency modulation (FM), putting on the front burner, the 25th Anniversary Celebration and other issues that are of interest to journalists and members of the public who  phoned, while others mailed their questions into the studio.

The soft-spoken Vice-Chancellor was also in his usual element, answering questions effortlessly with noticeable eloquence, details and deep insight that shows his rich knowledge and understanding of the University.

Fielding questions on the essence of the University celebration of Twenty-Five years of existence, Professor Oyewole said it is deserving because FUNAAB has excelled in realizing its tripodal mandates.

According to him, “we have made the mark of excellence in our areas of focus.  These are our tripodal mandate of teaching, research and extension services”.

Expatiating on academic excellence, the Vice-Chancellor stated that “our graduates are found everywhere where they have been excelling. “Anywhere you find our graduates, you find people that exhibit some important values which are befitting and promoting our University”.“We have put in them best quality and we are sure they are the best within the system.  In terms of academics we have tried a lot”, he added.

Speaking further, Professor Oyewole stressed that in the area of research “our research cuts across all facets of lives, animal science, crop science, plant science, processing. We are not just interested in primary production, we are interested in adding value to agric production”.

“One unique thing about FUNAAB is that we just don’t do research in the laboratory, we move outside the laboratory. Within the University today, we have Industrial Park where we have some cassava processing, cashew processing”.

He continued, “I know you have heard about the release of FUNAAB Ofada Varieties, FUNAABOR I and FUNAABOR II.  This is part of the latest invention that have come from FUNAAB. FUNAABOR I has been found to have high protein content and it also has good fibre, which is good for certain set of people”.

“We also have FUNAABOR 2 which is white and sweet when you take it.  In the area of Animal Science, we have gone ahead to look at a peculiar breed of goats in South Africa known as Kalahari.  We have brought Kalahari down to FUNAAB and cross-breed them with local breed so as to see how it can adapt to our environment”.

The Vice-Chancellor further informed that

“I know your are aware of our current role to incorporate cassava flour in bread and to mention that the original innovation comes from our University.  When we are talking about cassava flour, honestly speaking, the innovation comes from our University.  We are into production of cassava flour and we are also at the fore-front of research in our local cassava product like fufu.  For example our University produce odourless “fufu”.

Besides, Professor Oyewole advanced, “we have made impact in the area of tomatoes production and processing”.  Our University has a large acre of land for cocoa, palm oil.  We are into processing of honey, cashew-nuts and palm-wine, among others.

On the extension mandate of the University, the Vice-Chancellor revealed that, “one thing is that we don’t wait for our farmers to come.  We take education to the villages. We have programmes that our researchers, our Professors within the University go out to interact with farmers in the villages”.

“I tell you through our Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Center (AMREC), FUNAAB has Centres in many villages cutting across Ogun State and we have contact even in Oyo, Osun up to Delta State”, he stated.

Professor Oyewole also listed the University robust town and gown relationship with its catchment areas through Community Based Farming Scheme, among others, virile international organization and partnership, capacity development for staff as some of other areas which the University has made impact in the last 25 years.