The Governor of Imo State, Southeast Nigeria, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has advocated for increased funding in agricultural research as part of efforts to boost food security and diversify national development and the nation’s economy.
Uzodinma said that a dedicated specialized research fund could be the game changer, adding that it would do the nation a lot of good if a Tertiary Agricultural Education Research Fund is set up for the purpose.
The governor said this while delivering the 12th convocation lecture of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Abia State over the weekend.
Represented by his Commissioner for Education, Prof. Victor Nwachukwu, Uzodinma spoke on ‘Agriculture and National Development in a Diversified Economy: A Vision of Renewed Hope Through Town and Gown,’ pointing out that the future of agriculture depends on farmers’ ability and willingness to keep innovating, researching, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
Insisting that agriculture universities in the country, such as the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, must lead the way to innovate context-relevant solutions for the future, Uzodinma harped on the need for legislation that makes it mandatory for agro-based corporate infrastructures and industries to pay one percent of their profit as corporate tax to fund agricultural research.
The Imo chief executive suggested that federal and state governments would contribute an equal ratio to the fund by deducting the equivalent of the total funds raised through the corporate tax to the research fund, adding that the tax should be deducted from the federation account at 60-40 percent ratio between the federal and state governments.
He said, “We cannot afford to stand still, the world is changing, and we need continuous innovation to overcome new challenges. Climate change is making our weather more unpredictable, and we need to develop crops and farming methods that can adapt. We also need to find ways to produce more food while protecting our environment.
“Digital agriculture can easily fill this gap. We can use technologies like the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data to make farming more efficient and sustainable.
“We also need to explore new sources of protein, like plant-based and lab-grown options, to feed our growing population. And we need to find ways to improve soil health and capture carbon to protect our planet.
“Biotechnology, with tools like gene editing, offers breathtaking possibilities for developing crops with enhanced traits, such as improved nutrient content and disease resistance.
“Agriculture holds the key to Nigeria’s development. Embrace agriculture, fund it, research it, and work on it because it will transform Nigeria. It will diversify our economy, It will develop our country beyond our imagination, and above all, will grant us the food security we need to be a true sovereign nation. Let us return to the land and save our nation.”
He challenged his fellow governors to adopt the late Micheal Okpara’s green revolution initiative and return Nigeria to the era where agriculture contributed the bulk of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
Earlier in his remarks, the chairman of the convocation lecture, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, represented by, Professor Ike Oluka, tasked the university community to make their agricultural research findings private sector-driven, stating that only that will make agricultural practices productive in the land.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, led members of the academia to grace the thought-provoking lecture, while the Imo State Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba and other top Imo State government officials were at the occasion.
SOURCE: PUNCH NEWS
