Deans of Faculty of Agriculture association support new farmer’s field, business school concept to boost food production, security

By Apex News Exclusive Last updated Sep 6, 2023 411

Prof James Jayeoba, President, ADAN

By Akanji Alowoludo Bauchi

Association of Deans of Faculty of Agriculture in Nigeria Universities (ADAN) has declared support for the the farmer’s field and business school project of Catalyzing Strengthened policy action for healthy Diets and resilience (CASCADE) being implemented in Nigeria by an International NGO, Cooperative Assistance for Relief Everywhere (CARE).

Speaking to Journalists during a

training of Trainers on CARE’s Farmers Field and Business School (FFBS) approach holding at the Conference Hall of SULGAD Majestic Hotel, Bauchi, President of ADAN, Prof James Jayeoba commemded the project which he said will enhance a new approach to food production and security.

The ADAN President said that, “today we are in Bauchi for CASCADE train the trainer project workshop. Though we are here primarily as observers from the Academia, we have 4 Deans of Agriculture and one Professor of Extention in attendance.”

According to him, “we are here to understudy the methodology of the project with the aim of stepping it down into the Undergraduate curriculum. We are excited about this development because the farmer’s field and business school is a good concept that will develop farmers and make the agricultural sector an enterprise and business oriented while the farmers are learning on the job.”

Jayeoba added that,”This also is in the new direction of ADAN to make our Undergraduate project and programmes more interactive and practical oriented, and to be able to catch our students young when they are in school where they have the understanding of food, water and nutrition interaction and the enterprise concept of Agriculture in general.”

The University Don further said that,”This is in line and we are excited to be here to look at it and see how we can take the knowledge we have from this back to other Deans and see how can modify or even develop new curriculum for our undergraduate students to introduce them to this new concept.”

“You know that Agriculture is a dynamic system, as new knowledge are coming, we will be adopting and changing all the time, that is why we are here,” he stressed.

On food security, he said that, “yeah, when you have a good understanding of the system, how they relate, for example, how water relates to the food system, how the food system relates to nutrition, then you see that the farmer will have complete understanding of how the system works.”

He stressed that,”This is because, in the past, we treated all these concepts in isolation of each other. For example, we don’t relate food production to water, and we didn’t relate food production to nutrition.”

Jayeoba stressed that, “But now, we want to look into the system where we can integrate all these concepts together so that they can work together for a better food and nutrition of our people.”