Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, has called on Nigeria Universities to put more energy on the actualization of agricultural transformation, adding that it is the easiest means of creating jobs and wealth.
The TETFund Boss made the call during roundtable meeting with Vice Chancellors of Universities, on the implementation of Agricultural Research and Innovation Fellowship for Africa (ARIFA) in Nigeria with the them, ‘building the post-vicosa symposium action plan.”
TETFUND is a scheme charged with the responsibility to provide supplementary support to all levels of public tertiary institutions with the main objective of using funding alongside project management for the rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of Tertiary Education in Nigeria.
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The scheme was designed to improve the management of funds disbursed to these institutions for the general improvement of education in federal and state tertiary educations specifically for the provision or maintenance standards in higher educational institutions.
Echono enjoined the Vice Chancellors to take agricultural transformation very serious, disclosing that he is very confident that if we get it right in agriculture in this country, half of our problems would be solved because it is the root and fastest way to wealth creation in today’s world.
He went on to appreciate the efforts of federal and state government in boosting agriculture and other food production intervention, but solicited increased investment and other research to improve adoption of technology that will significantly improve yield and revenue.
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According to him, more than 60 percent of those who graduate with agriculture go on to do other things with their lives because of absence of commercial farming that can make the sector attractive to absorb qualified workforce.
“Most of those who are being recruited into banditry, into the insurgency, if they are able to work on the land they would perhaps prefer to do that than the arms struggles they are doing.
