By: Tunde Uchegbuo
Food blockade by Northern traders in March 2021 resulted in an astronomic rise in the prices of staple food items in Rivers and other Niger Delta states.
This happened on the heels of a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that listed Rivers State among the states with a high rate of food insecurity.
The challenges faced as a result of that action led to the adoption of agricultural practices that will guarantee self-sufficiency in food production in those Niger Delta states.
One of such states is Rivers, which has prospects for economic growth with several promising areas for investment besides oil and gas. Interestingly, one area that has strong projections for job creation and poverty reduction in the state is agriculture.
With over 280,000 hectares of arable land, generally mild topography, and variable and heavy seasonal rainfall, which is adequate for all-year-round crop production, Rivers State is among the states with the best natural environments for crop production and animal husbandry in Africa.
Like the Information and Communications Technology sector, the agricultural sector in Rivers State has enough untapped resources to drive job creation and poverty reduction.
In recent times, the agricultural sector has become more attractive because of the gains made with the introduction of modern agricultural value chains that have created better opportunities for self-employment, good wages, and better working conditions.
In this regard, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) reported that government and private entrepreneurs are increasingly investing in Africa’s agricultural value chains. As a result, there is a rise in the number of medium and large-scale farms, as well as growth in labour-intensive small and medium-sized agribusiness firms, which employ 45 percent of the nation’s workforce.
The Rivers Cassava Processing Company (RCPC), which is an initiative that is aimed at off-taking cassava crops from local farmers for value addition and wealth creation, is one such example.
The factory, according to the Rivers State Governor, Barrister Nyesom Wike, will regularly buy off cassava tubers from at least 3,000 farmers for processing and would employ 4,500 persons, produce about 45,000 metric tons of cassava flour daily, while about 12,000 metric tons of cassava tubers would be needed.
These are strong indicators that there is a bright future for students studying Agriculture in Nigeria’s tertiary educational institutions if they are equipped with demand/market-driven skills.
This claim is hinged on the sector’s predictable relevance in the economic growth and sustainable development in the country for many years to come.
Accordingly, the establishment of a full-fledged Faculty of Agriculture by the management of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education was driven by the need to sustain the initiative of the Rivers State government to boost food production and create jobs for Rivers people.
Using the Rivers Cassava Processing Project, for example, the farmers will definitely need high yield, early maturing and pest resistant cassava stems and modern farming techniques if they must meet the demand of the plant. This is where the input of universities and research institutions becomes useful.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, while asserting that the importance of a Faculty of Agriculture in a state where much of its food supply comes from outside cannot be under-estimated, noted that the university has a duty to help in changing the unacceptable narrative.
To this effect, the training of the students in the faculty will be anchored on a market and demand-driven pedagogy that will create pathways that allows them to learn and earn through the acquisition of competencies that align with the food needs of Rivers State.
When operational, the faculty will train a new generation of motivated graduates that will leverage digital technology, innovative farming techniques, and sustainable entrepreneurship skills to boost food production and the associated agro-business value chains in Rivers State.
