NO fewer than 14 tools fabricated by the Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, were adopted and upscaled by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
Inspecting the tools at the Institute of the Technology, mini-campus of the polytechnic, the Director of Mechanization, IITA, Dr. Peter Kolawole, said that the institute visited the polytechnic to explore the available technology in order to partner with the polytechnic.
Kolawole also lamented the bad finishing of machines being imported to Nigeria for farmers, and to other parts of African countries.
He, however, noted that the African Union had introduced Transformation of Africa Agricultural Technology (TAAT) to help upgrade the African farmers from the use of hoes and cutlasses, and to empower technical technological institutions in Africa to fabricate tools for farmers.
The director further said that the TAAT scheme would encourage Africans to engage in agricultural exercise regardless of their various professions.
He said, “Once the fabricated tools for farmers are made in Africa to be gender-friendly, everyone would be encouraged to engage in farming, and it would assist the institutions fabricating these tools to improve on them.”
Reacting, the rector of the polytechnic, Alhaji Mas’ud Elelu, who was represented by the deputy rector (Academics), Mr. Yekeen Oyebode, said Nigeria’s economic problem could only be solved through agriculture, 80 per cent of it revolving around engineering and technological development.
Elelu assured the IITA team that the exploration visit conducted by the institute would go a long way to strengthen the relationship between the polytechnic and the institute.
Among the adopted tools are solar driers, Boom Sprayer (using battery), portable mobile cold storage, maize planter, mower, cassava harvester and honey extractor.
Others are plantain chips pulverizer, locust bean diluter, pedal thresher, cassava frier, briquetting machine, bio-mass dryer (using briquettes) and evaporating cooler (for fruit and vegetables).
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