By Faridat Salifu
The Federal Government has pledged to support agricultural and infrastructure development at the Federal University of Education, Kontagora (FUEK), Niger State.
The assurance came from the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abdullahi Aliyu, during a courtesy visit by the university’s delegation to Abuja.
Led by Vice-Chancellor Prof. Faruk Haruna, the delegation briefed the minister on FUEK’s development priorities and sought support for youth-focused initiatives, including naming an agricultural education project after the minister.
Aliyu emphasized that agriculture and agricultural education remain the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, noting that over 70 per cent of Nigerians are directly or indirectly involved in farming.
He highlighted the importance of skilled manpower and commended FUEK for integrating agricultural skills across disciplines, including physical and health education, with emphasis on nutrition.
The minister also noted past challenges faced by teachers travelling to other states for certification, stressing that “you cannot talk about quality education without teachers.”
Prof. Haruna said the visit was to appreciate the minister’s role in establishing the university and to request support for modern farm machinery, renewable energy facilities, cold rooms, greenhouses, irrigation systems, and agro-processing and value-addition centres for training and research.
Haruna listed achievements of the university to include NUC operational licensing and approval of 34 academic programmes, complaining, however, that inadequate funding and insecurity have hampered project completion and led to theft and vandalism of university property.
He said the university plans to introduce entrepreneurial skills training for students and youths in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, computer appreciation, phone repairs, catering, tailoring, fisheries, poultry, and animal husbandry, contributing to both skill development and Nigeria’s food security goals.
