By George George Idowu
The Rector of Kwara Polytechnic, Dr. Abdul Jimoh-Muhammed has urged tertiary institutions across Nigeria to embrace commercial farming on their campuses to enhance food production and contribute to the nation’s food security.
In an interview in Ilorin on Saturday, he emphasized the importance of integrating agricultural practices alongside academic research.
Highlighting the polytechnic’s recent success, he shared that the institution harvested 25 tonnes of maize from its campus farm, a move aimed at promoting the concept of “growing what you eat and eating what you grow.”
According to him, the polytechnic invested nearly N13 million in maize and cassava plantations during their first farming season, including N10 million for land clearing and N3 million for seeds and cassava stems.
Faced with land encroachment challenges, the rector and his team decided to utilise the vacant land for commercial farming, urging other institutions to follow suit.
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He noted that the farm’s produce would be reinvested to sustain and expand the polytechnic’s agricultural activities, with some of the harvest also used for value-added products by the department of food science technology.
He said students from the departments of agricultural technology, agricultural engineering, and bio-environmental engineering played a significant role in the farm’s success, gaining practical experience through their involvement.
He further disclosed that the polytechnic plans to expand its farming activities, including the cultivation of an additional 20 hectares of land next season with crops such as soybeans.
Looking ahead, Dr. Jimoh-Muhammed expressed interest in diversifying into animal husbandry, poultry farming, and irrigation farming.
He appealed to the government for support, particularly in securing a water source for irrigation and acquiring essential farming equipment.
The rector assured that security on the farm is robust, with collaboration between the polytechnic’s security personnel and other agencies.
On the part of Ruth Bayeri, Director of the Institute of Technology and Chairman of the farming committee, she confirmed that despite initial challenges, the initiative has proven profitable and will continue, with plans to plant soybeans after the rainy season.
