By Faridat Salifu
The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) is set to expand its commercial agriculture and research farms with the ₦1 billion allocated to it by the Federal Government under the 2025 Special Intervention Programme for the purpose.
The fund, conveyed to the institution by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), marks a significant step in linking academic research with national food production efforts.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, described the intervention as a boost to FUTA’s mission of promoting innovation-driven agriculture and tackling food insecurity through technology.
She said the fund would enhance the university’s ongoing projects in crop production, greenhouse farming, and palm plantation development.
“This support from the Federal Government is a recognition of FUTA’s role in advancing agricultural innovation. We are already developing F1 species of bell pepper and tomatoes that outperform traditional varieties, and this intervention will help scale up such initiatives for wider impact,” Oladiji stated.
She explained that FUTA’s Teaching and Research Farm has become a model for integrating research outcomes into practical food solutions, with ongoing collaborations to assist local farmers in improving yield and resilience.
The VC said the university plans to use part of the intervention to upgrade facilities, expand irrigation systems, and build new greenhouses to support year-round cultivation.
“This fund will add fresh momentum to our commercial farming activities. We are committed to ensuring transparency and accountability in its utilisation,” she said.
The intervention, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is part of the government’s drive to strengthen the role of tertiary institutions in achieving food self-sufficiency and enhancing Nigeria’s agricultural value chain through research-led production.
TETFund Executive Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, in his letter to the university, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s policy of transforming universities into centres of practical agricultural excellence and innovation.
FUTA’s commercial farm project, established to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world farming, has recorded successes in crop innovation, animal husbandry, and value addition.
With the fresh funding, the university is expected to deepen its engagement with local farmers and agri-entrepreneurs, serving as a model for sustainable agricultural transformation in Nigeria’s higher education system.