FUOYE, Alabama A&M Varsity sign cooperation agreement

As part of efforts aimed at attaining food security for the country and improve its revenue base, the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) Ekiti State and the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical (A and M) University, US, have signed a cooperation agreement.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was signed recently when the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor KayodeSoremekun, led a team to the US also included staff and students exchange as well as research collaboration.

Explaining the reason behind the agreement, Professor Soremekun said: “FUOYE is a gold mine that has not been explored, especially for agricultural services. So apart from a real desire to diversify the revenue base of the university through agricultural mechanisation, we will also be helping to fulfil the federal government’s goal of bridging the food gap in the country.”

He added that President Muhammadu Buhari is looking for ways of engaging the youth of the country in productive ventures, and that he would ensure that FUOYE becomes one of the key centres for actualising this vision.

“When I came on board, I looked around and found that the community has good soil and very fertile land that we can deploy to mechanised farming to provide employment for professionals from this institution and to ensure we attain food security,” he said.

Soremekun, who disclosed that the MOU is only the beginning in the area of partnership for FUOYE, added that the institution recently forwarded 23 new academic programmes to the National Universities Commission (NUC) for approval.

FUOYE, he added, has also commenced the process for the commencement of a Faculty of Pharmacy with the recent inauguration of a seven-man committee headed by Professor of Pharmacy from the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU), Ile-Ife, Adebayo Lamikanra.