VC of the University – Prof. Ekanem Braide (R) and Hon. Min. of Information, Labaran Maku
Diana Okon-Effiong, Calabar
The Cross River Government has been advised to invest more in agriculture foremployment creation, food security and increase in its revenue profile.
The call was made Saturday in Calabar by Prof. Ekanem Braide, the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa State,at the 16th Prof. Bassey Andah memorial lecture.
The lecture had as its theme, `Agriculture and Food Security in Nigeria’.
Braide said that the fertile land mass of Cross River spanning various ecological zones from mangrove to derived savannah needed to be exploited for agricultural potentials.
“With this land mass, the state can rely on diverse agriculture products for meaningful socio-economic growth, job creation, and revenue generation.
It is reported that Nigerian farmers are now aving the best of times following the federal government intervention in the agricultural sector.
“To ensure sustainability of this mood, there should be correspondent increase in number of youths who are genuinely interested in studying and practicing agriculture.
“This should manifest in an increase in engagement in agriculture from growing to processing especially with the reality of weakening of the naira and falling oil prices’’, she said.
She restated that agriculture has the potentials to prevent hunger, malnutrition, ill health and in extreme cases, death.
Dr Godfrey Nzamujo, keynote speaker at the event, urged the government to set up strong institutions to train young agriculture graduates.
“Our modern industries, especially in the agricultural sector, are inefficient both in terms of output per unit input and in absolute terms,” he said.
According to Nzamujo, agriculture should be given priority because it contributes greatly to the overall growth of the economy.
Our Regional Correspondent reports that Prof. Andah, who died on 22nd Dec. 1997, was the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration at the University of Ibadan.
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