From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The Director, Research Development, Institute of International Tropical Agriculture, (IITA) Ibadan, Dr. Robert Asiedu , has advised the Federal Government to seek local research solutions in enhancing agricultural development.
Asiedu stated this while delivering keynote address at the Faculty of Science of the institution, with the theme, “Applied Sciences: Tools for National development”.
According to him, many researches conducted outside the country are not applicable to our situation, a reason the research works have not yielded positive impact.
He said: “We have brilliant scientists that are trained locally and internationally who are citizens of Nigeria with indigenous experience, but are not supported to contribute to research development.
“Government has a lot of answers to current problems we are facing in the country like providing technology that can address present agricultural challenges.
“Agriculture employs largest sector of the economy, but the problem is that most agricultural practitioners are subsistent farmers. And as a result, they can’t employ and produce much food”, he said.
He added that in order to achieve agricultural development, there must be modern tools, provision of infrastructural facilities, financial resources, protecting environment, people, commodities and involvement of private sector.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chancellor and Chairman Board of Trustees of the university, Prof. Gabriel Ogunmola said the theme of the conference is important because despite many scholars in the country, there had not been much development occasioned by lack of applying the research works to address problems.
He said it is on this note that Lead City University name her faculty, an Applied Science which has enhanced her with a giant stride in research to bring innovations and enhance high productivity.
Corroborating him, the Dean of the faculty, Prof. Olusola Ladokun, said the faculty is committed to pursue Innovation, standardization and interdisciplinary research to fulfill her role as a transmitter of knowledge that extends the fruits of its creative research and development to all sectors of society which is the reason for the conference.
She added that the faculty at a traversing time in the country will continue to meet and bring inspired people together in forum like this to ensure the faculty remains at the cutting edge of national and global developments.
Prof. Ladokun further said that the conference was organized to enable researchers showcase their research findings and most importantly, to stimulate interactions between researchers and boost collaborations in the field of sciences within and outside the institution.