Ibadan – The Provost of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, Dr Oluwakemi Augustus has declared that the Okaka Outreach Centre, the foremost tertiary Agricultural institution in the country is a reality, because it is in tandem with the core objective of establishing college, and further reinforced by the current Administration’s initiative on food security.
She disclosed this while performing the swearing-in ceremony for the two newly appointed members of the board of the institution’s Outreach Centres at the college’s Boardroom on Thursday.
The newly appointed members are Dr. Ahmed Raji SAN, (who was represented by Hon. Saheed Alaran) and Air Commondore Edward Adedokun rtd, both from the agrarian Oke-ogun region of Oyo State, which the Okaka Outreach Centre is particularly programmed to serve and beyond.
The core essence of these centres, according to her, and in compliance with the directive of the Federal Ministry of agriculture and Food Security, as well as the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria; is to take agricultural training closer to the people in their domains, for ease of access and availability of the needed resources necessary for accomplishing the set objectives.
She, tasked the new board members to deploy their widely acclaimed spirit of philanthropy towards assisting the college by ensuring “smooth and mutually productive relationship between the college and communities hosting our outreach centres in order to fulfill highlighted mandates and obligations of the college “.
The newly appointed members in their separate remarks expressed appreciation for the honour. Dr Ahmed Raji, speaking through Hon Alaran, emphasised that the project is for the entire Oke-ogun region, stressing on the need for reorientation program aimed at changing the attitude of the Oke-ogun youths in general towards embracing Agribusiness.
While Air Commondore Edward Adedokun rtd harped on the need for a secured farm environment for the training of professional, technology-sarvy farmers to push the vision through.
Other illustrious stakeholders in the coming on stream of the project, Mr Festus Olanrewaju- an Industrial Miller and Aquaculturist, Dr Lateef Ajibike, Okaka Descendants Union President, The Community Youth Leader, went down the memory lane on their struggles to see the project through to this stage and thanked the Provost and her entire management team for their demonstrated passion for the progress recorded at the Outreach Centre so far, while promising unceasing support.
HRM, Oba Ayoola Olatunji, Ogelende IV, the Olokaka of Okaka in his closing remarks thanked the Federal Government for siting the college within his domain and pledged his full support and that of his colleague – Obas from oke-ogun and their unflinching Royal blessings.
