By Gabriel Dike
The Lagos State Polytechnic (LASPOTECH), Ikorodu, Lagos, intends to partner with multi-national companies in the area of production of dairy and edible products.
Rector of LASPOTECH, Dr. Nurudeen Olaleye, who disclosed this while flagging off the planting of 2,000 coconut seedlings on campus, said agriculture was one of the top priorities of his administration.
Dr. Olaleye told The Education Report that the polytechnic would partner with multi-national companies to produce dairy food from agricultural products.
He said agriculture was among the nine-point cardinal programme of his administration to develop LASPOTECH, adding. “It is my intention to take advantage of the vast land and experts available in the School of Agriculture to harness our agricultural potential.”
Olaleye, who planted a coconut seedling, said research has shown that coconut is useful to the environment and can be used to produce many items. According to him, coconut can be used to produce oil, juice and other edible products as well as in beautifying the environment.
In his remarks, dean of the School of Agriculture, Dr. Adebayo Asafa, described the coconut as an economic plant found in large quantities in Lagos, thus its potential must be tapped.
Dr. Asafa disclosed that 2,000 coconut seedlings would be planted around the LASPOTECH campus, as the school has always spearheaded the planting of trees in the polytechnic.
Head of the Department, Crop Production Technology, Dr. Oludare Adenubi, said, in two and half years, the coconut seedling, a dwarf variety, would start to produce coconuts in large quantity.
Adenubi explained that the planting of coconut seedlings would serve as a practical demonstration to students how it is grown and nurtured to maturity.
Said he: “The coconut will be used for oil, as coconut meat, for shelter for staff, students and even visitors, for fuel material and as herb (medicinal); the coconut water is good for health.”