My lecturers tried to discourage me from studying Agriculture —Foluke Aderemi, Associate Professor, BOWEN University

Foluke Aderemi, an Associate Professor of Animal Science is the Acting Dean of Faculty of Agriculture, BOWEN University, Iwo, Osun State and a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Ibadan, Oyo State. In this interview by TAYO GESINDE, she speaks about her career, winning the African Women in Science Award and the need for farmers to add value to their produce.

Background Information?

I was born some fifty something years ago. I grew up, went to a public primary school and Yejide Girls Grammar School. I  proceeded to Oyo State  College of Education, Ila Orangun in the old Oyo State, and from there to the then Bendel State University now Delta State University, Abraka, Delta State where I did my first degree. I also attended University of Ibadan for my Master’s Degree and my PhD which I finished in 2001.Since then, I was home a bit but in 2002,whenBOWEN University was established by the Nigerian  Baptist  Convention, I was part of the premier staff and since then, I am still there.

 

Why did you decide to study agriculture?

I was motivated by my immediate elder brother. Although he tried discouraging me but the more he tried, the more I got interested. My father happens to be a farmer, my mother a big time kola nut trader. I just started thinking about what we can do to better the lot of peasant farmers and how we can be of assistance to them. That kept on driving me till I met myself where I am today.

 

What were the challenges you faced on the way to becoming what you are today?

Part of the challenges, particularly when I was at the college of education was how can a woman be a farmer? My lecturers kept looking at me as if I was fragile and was not going to be a good farmer. The more they tried to discourage me, the more I decided to do the course. They used to say “fair lady (because of my complexion), why are you doing this course? Don’t you know that we have a lot of practical? Sincerely, if I had the chance to erase Wednesdays from the calendar, I would have done so because we would be on the farm from 7 0’clock and we must not get there late. We were there from 7 to 1 0’clock every day. Our lecturers tried to discourage me that the course was not meant for a fair lady like me that I should do Secretariat Study or any other course that will allow me to stay in an office. However, the more they tried to discourage me, the more I got interested and I came out with distinction when I graduated from the college. When I started my career, I didn’t face much challenge in my career.

 

Besides teaching Animal Science, are you also involved in the practical aspect of it?

Yes. I have a small farm where I have about a thousand birds so I know what it is to have a practical experience. That is also an additional source of income for me.

ALSO READ: Our leaders as metaphoric ‘science students’

What are the things people who want to become a farmer need to know about farming?

Before going into farming, especially animal science, check the cost; check the market to ascertain that it is ready for your animals. If you want to produce broilers for instance, you have to check whether if by two and a half months when they are ready, there is a market that will take them from you. Then you will be encouraged to have more, especially in different ages so that as soon as one set is gone, another one is getting ready to get to maturity for disposal. I would advice our people that we should try as much as possible to do a little of value addition to whatever we are producing. For instance in my faculty, when animal science produces milk through the cow, the Food Science and Technology (FST) would help us in value addition by making cheese, butter and so on.  When you add value to it, you will get more money.

 

What is your faculty doing to help farmers?

We have Farmers’ Forum which is a way of linking town to gown. When we did some researches and came up with some findings we shared it with them. We educate them on how to improve their production. There were also times we multiplied the good specie of cassava and gave it to them free.

 

What role do you think government needs to play to assist farmers?

I am making a clarion call to all tiers of government to come to the aid of farmers. Many of our farmers produce at peasant level but if they have access to small or medium scale loans from Agric Banks, it would help them. It is true the government will say that agric banks are giving loans to farmers but how many of our farmers who actually need it get such loans. The banks put up some bottle necks that won’t make these loans to be accessible to these people. If the banks remove the bottle necks and the loans are available to farmers, I am sure that they will do better.

 

What was the most defining moment of your career?

There was an award that I won; it is called African Women in Science, in 2011. Then, I looked at my age, ordinarily most of these opportunities are meant for younger people but I won it and I was so proud. That gave me the opportunity of meeting like minds and I travelled to Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, USA because I won that fellowship. It was a good experience. I met colleagues from other countries who were making impacts and we discussed how we can help our farmers. It was a great experience for me.

 

How were you able to combine the home front with your career?

Thank God for the fellowship I won. I am a pastor, mother, wife and I am still faring very well in my place of work. When I won the award, there was one leadership training I went for where I was taught how to do work life balance. One must not affect the other negatively. By the time one goes through these trainings, one will just see that it is very easy for you to move on as a mother, teacher and pastor. God created women to multi-task, naturally by nature women can do a lot of things; they know how to coordinate in such a way that they can juggle all the roles without one affecting the other. By the grace of God, we are coping.

 

As a pastor, educationist and mother, how do you think we can raise godly children in this day and age?

To raise godly children, we need to hand them over to God. No man or woman can beat his or her chest and say it is by my effort my children have turned out well but we all have one role or the other to pay. Just play your own part; showing them the way, lead them in the way of the Lord and leave the remaining ones to God. When God adds value to someone’s life, it will look as if you are a genius; it is just by His grace.  We need to be morally upright ourselves because we can’t give what we don’t have.  Children take after their parents so, if we are good examples, definitely, our children will follow suit. In few cases, we can see deviant behaviour but all we need to do is to run to God and hand it over to Him and He will help.

 

How can one have a successful marriage?

Having a successful marriage starts and ends with God because He is the author of marriage. Once your marriage is built on Christ the rock, you can be sure it will stand the test of time but in a situation where anything goes then anywhere will lead to nowhere. That is just it. But when your way is defined, you are standing by God, standing with God; He will stand with you and for you. I don’t see a situation where a committed child of God will think of harming his or her spouse. When there is peace in the home, there will be peace in the society.

 

What advice do you have for parents?

They should dedicate time for them, spend time together and do the homework together. Let’s create time for them. Everything should not be just running around looking for money. There is a way you bond when you spend time with them and that bond will last long.