AGCO inaugurates new agricultural college in Nigeria

Nuradin Osman, AGCO vice-president and general manager, Africa has been sworn-in to the Governing Council of College of Agriculture and Technology in Isan-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria

The five-man Governing Council for the college was announced by the governor of Ekiti State Dr John Kayode Fayemi, the at the inauguration ceremony on 13 December 2019.

Agriculture is the main source of income for Ekiti State situated in the south-west of Nigeria with more than 75 per cent of the population earning a living farming cash and food crops. The agricultural transformation and rural development agenda under the administration of Dr John Kayode Fayemi has led to the establishment of the College of Agriculture and Technology.

“The newly established college has the potential to leverage agriculture as the mainstay of the economy and to empower young people through education, skill development and capacity building on agricultural innovations, technology development and agricultural best practices. It is our hope that the college will attract youth into agriculture and attain food security for all,” explained Dr John Kayode Fayemi.

The governing council members of the College of Agriculture and Technology were selected from a list of experts within Ekiti State and outside Nigeria. Activities at the college began in September 2019 with the appointment of a steering committee.

The college will run both short and long term certificate courses in the aim to develop middle level agricultural manpower that will effectively combine skills with cutting edge technologies to drive agricultural production and ensure food security in the region.