FG Approves N30 Billion for Mechanized Farming in Universities of Agriculture
The Federal Government has approved N30 billion to support mechanized farming in the nation’s 30 universities of agriculture.
This initiative aims to promote food security, a key priority of the current administration. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced this development on Tuesday in Abuja, emphasizing the need for universities of agriculture to focus on their core mandates and cease offering unrelated programs.
“We need to look critically into your curriculum, into the kind of courses that your universities are offering. We have federal universities of agriculture offering courses in accounting. That, we want you to move away from.
“You’re University of Agriculture, focus on what you were set up to do. We have the Federal University of Technology offering courses in insurance. Your University of Technology, focus on that.
“We have several universities there. You are a faculty of agriculture, you don’t have a farm. What are you teaching? We will work with you, to encourage you to have your farm. Every university that has a faculty of agriculture, we now want you to set up your own mechanised farming and livestock production. And we have put aside about N30bn for that.
“We will give you N1bn. You will have to apply for N1bn to set up your mechanised farming in each of these universities. That will also help to contribute to food security in your country. This President, one of his first pillars in his priority area is food security. We want you as the people that build our future, the education system, build value of future and freedom and opportunities.
“We want you to start using your power, your position to create opportunities for attainment. We are also working with a tech fund. As I said, we’re focusing on STEM.
“We’ve identified about N17bn of the high impact with TETFund. Our special high impact projects to 18 universities. This will be directed, focused on a medical school to specifically train doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and nurses.
“Eighteen of the universities will share that N17bn. But we want you to focus on these four categories of courses for doctors, pharmacists, dentists, and nurses.
“We’ve identified one each university as a pilot in each geopolitical zone. We’re doing something what we call Renewed Campus Transportation. We’ll give 25 electric tricycles to those universities for them to use. The student will put it to the student union. They will operate it on a low payment platform.
“Probably N15 for each drop for each of the universities. That as well we’re working on. We also are going to roll out student startup innovation and entrepreneurial grants that we will give to students who are very innovative.
“We’ll give this grant to them to help them unleash the innate potential that they have in them. So our focus is to give the youth the support they need to be able to contribute to this country. We’re uniquely privileged today.”
The Minister of Education emphasized the importance of universities focusing on their core mandates and promoting entrepreneurship and innovation among students. This development is expected to have a significant impact on the country’s education sector and promote economic growth and development.
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