The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) will be graduating 112 first-class students for the 2022/2023 academic session.
The institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Babatunde Kehinde, on Wednesday, while briefing newsmen ahead of the institution’s 31st convocation ceremony, which begins on Friday.
Kehinde noted that the university produced 3, 575 graduates with 112 of them making first class honours list.
Also, a total of 1,540 made the Second Class Upper division list while 187 others were listed under Third Class category of graduates.
Prof. Kehinde also disclosed that 23 Post Graduate Diploma, 138 Master degree and 48 Ph.Ds academic certificates in various fields would be awarded to students at the 31st convocation ceremony.
He said the Secretary-General, Committee of Vice-Chancellor of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU), Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, will deliver the convocation lecture on Saturday.
He said the university had gone into partnership with a private company to produce pawpaw with 14 hectares of land.
The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed the university’s readiness to ensure food security, allocated 20 Hectares of casava plantation, livestock production others.
He added that the institution is ready to engage in large-scale food production, as it was approved by the federal Ministry of Agriculture.
Prof. Kehinde posited that the institution is not just about theoretical aspects, but also fully engaged in practical aspects, despite the limitation. Additionally, the university has also gone into partnership with private organizations for pawpaw and watermelon production.
He also stated that in the area of livestock, the institution also partnered with a private organisation and established a dairy farm, while also allocating land for cattle ranches.
Kehided added that the institution will begin production of milk and rabbit meat production for lovers of rabbit meat.
“In the area of livestock, we partner Noila, we admitted that we established a dairy farm on campus, eventually we started producing milk, we started with cattle ranches, we now have a facility that can take up to 5000 recently we started rabbits meat production. for those who love rabbit meats, in the next three months, it will be ready.
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“About two weeks ago, I still met with the minister of agriculture and he told me that they would get back to us as soon as possible, and by May or June before planting commences this year, hopefully, to manage in large scale we need Human, material, and finance.
“On our own, we are doing our best Despite our limitations” he posited.
Kehinde also pointed out that the institution is not just for agricultural revitalization, but their academic activities are also paramount to them, thereby making the university float new academic programmes that were approved by the senate of the school while waiting for the National University Council for approval.
“Our academic is also garmain to us, we are going float 8 new academic programs, so we can be relevant to our immediate community, it is approved by our senate and we are waiting for the National University Council and it is going be based on computer, we are going to have cyber security, software management, etc, it will be majorly on computer.
“We have been ranked the number one university of agriculture in Africa and 7th in the world, as the institution set for 31 convocations, produced 122 first-class students”.
Also, Honorary Doctorate is to be conferred on the former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, and Fola Adeola founder of Providus bank.