Don advocates tech-driven approach to modern agriculture, food production

THE Secretary-General, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, Professor Yakubu Ochefu, has advocated for a technology-driven approach to modern agriculture and food production in Nigeria.

He stated this while delivering the 31st convocation lecture of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) on the lecture titled, ‘From Baby Boomers to Generation Alpha: Interrogating Generational Dynamics and Agricultural Education in Nigeria,’ held last Friday in Abeokuta.

The former vice chancellor of Kwararafa University, Taraba State, outlined the transformative potential of precision agriculture, drones, robots, driverless tractors, Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, soilless farming and vertical farming (urban agriculture).

The lecture delved into generational dynamics, tracing cycles from the silent generation (great-grandparents) through the Baby Boomers (grandparents), Generation X (parents), Millennials (young adults), to Generation Alpha (teenagers).

Ochefu highlighted the 25-year generational cycle in African societies, emphasising that three generations co-exist with distinct experiences and pre-occupations.

Describing the Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) as the architects of the current technology-driven world, Professor Ochefu stressed the need for Nigerian universities, particularly higher institutions, to embrace the virtual reality of Generation Z.

He urged them to shed conservative traditions, acknowledging that universities play a dual role—offering ideas that shape society, while also holding onto traditions that may no longer align with current realities.

Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Oba (Professor) Saka Adelola Matemilola, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, had commended the relevance of the lecture, noting the significant shift from crude agricultural practices to a technology-intensive era.

The traditional ruler stressed the importance of encouraging technology-savvy individuals born in the age of digitalisation to take interest in agriculture.

In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Babatunde Kehinde, affirmed his administration’s commitment to providing skills and transformational knowledge, highlighting FUNAAB’s focus on remaining at the forefront of education with agriculture as its flagship programme.

Kehinde restated the role of the convocation lecture in exposing graduands and stakeholders to modern trends in agriculture education, signalling the institution’s determination to evolve into a 21st-century university.

He described FUNAAB’s emergence as the best University of Agriculture in Africa and the 7th best in the world as a result of hard work and determination, calling for more dedication to sustain the accolades.