a. General Philosophy, Aims, Objectives and Mandate Philosophy

The primary philosophy that guides the training of students is the production of skilled manpower that is adequately furnished with the comprehensive information required for gainful employment. Such knowledgeable professional manpower has to be produced in an environment with the widest possible human and material resources through the adoption of effective technique of instructions and exposure to trending technologies and actual practice of agriculture. Consequently, there are opportunities for formal training at the undergraduate and Postgraduate levels, for the acquisition of basic and higher degrees respectively. These training programmes are mounted through classroom instruction, laboratory practicals, field demonstrations and workshop practice. Deriving from the foregoing philosophy and the major objectives of the University, among others, are to:

(i) assist in the attainment of self-sufficiency in the production of basic food;

(ii) contribute to the achievement of the goal of marked increase in the production of agricultural raw materials to support the growth of our several industries;

(iii) achieve the production and processing of export produce;

(iv) enhance with emphasis on relevant, appropriate and manageable technology to modernize agricultural production, processing, storage preservation and distribution;

(v) enhance the rural employment opportunities and the attendant improvement of the quality of rural life;

(vi) evolve effective ways of protecting agricultural land resources from ecological degradation such as erosion, pollution, etc.;

(vii) develop new patterns of agricultural structures and government policies which clearly demonstrate that agriculture is an important part of our national economy.

b. Aims assist in the attainment of self-sufficiency in the production of basic food; contribute to the achievement of the goal of marked increase in the production of agricultural raw materials to support the growth of our several industries; achieve the production and processing of export produce; enhance with emphasis on relevant, appropriate and manageable technology to modernize agricultural production, processing, storage preservation and distribution; enhance the rural employment opportunities and the attendant improvement of the quality of rural life; evolve effective ways of protecting agricultural land resources from ecological degradation such as erosion, pollution, etc.; develop new patterns of agricultural structures and government policies which clearly demonstrate that agriculture is an important part of our national economy. Computing disciplines are the bedrock of agricultural and technological developments and are therefore of natural growth. The training of Computer scientists in an agricultural setting is to:
(i) enable agricultural problems to be resolved scientifically with an overall aim of attaining selfsufficiency in food production;

(ii) ensure a thorough and reliable training which will assure our graduates employment opportunities; 18 19

(iii) inculcate into science graduates an entrepreneurial culture, good communication skills, computer literacy, analytical mind, life-long learning and subject specific skills;

(iv) train students to be creative, innovative and seek self-employment.