OCP Africa, an agricultural corporation, is working to facilitate agricultural collaboration between Nigerians universities, polytechnics and a Moroccan University, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, UN6P, on possible exchange programmes, innovations, technologies, exchange of ideas and human capacity building for the agricultural sector.
The the Country Director, OCP Africa, Nigeria, Caleb Usoh, spoke on the essence of the collaboration held in Abuja and also in Bauchi State.
The company met with stakeholders at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University recently as part of engagement with Nigeria universities explained that the idea is to foster networking and collaborations between UN6P and the Nigerian universities.
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University essentially develops partnerships with the scientific community, public institutions, and businesses, with which it shares expertise. It also carries out technical collaborations and knowledge transfers.
Universities and Polytechnics present at the interaction include Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife; Nasarawa State University, Keffi; Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; Imo State University, Owerri; Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, Hadejia, Jigawa State, and others.
Heads of departments of agricultural in the various institutions present appreciated OCP Africa effort to facilitate the interaction that will ultimately increase productivity in the agricultural sector, which also will be beneficial to both countries.
The Executive Director, Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, IAR&T, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ibadan, Prof Veronica Obatolu, was hopeful that the move by UN6P to collaborate with Nigerian universities will go a long way to positively impact productivity, livelihood and wealth creation for Nigerians
She said: “The whole essence is a way of increasing productivity in agriculture, livelihood of Nigerian population and creating wealth through agriculture.
“This collaboration the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University has brought to us in partnering with them in order to develop our students, develop our technology, create more opportunity in the area of agriculture, especially in the area of fertilizer, soil and water management, bioscience whereby we will be able to do the mapping for Nigerian area, where to recommend the type of fertilizer that is fitted for every agro-ecology within the country.
“They want to assist with the help of OCP in order to fund this and also to give our students the opportunity, scholarship to be able to study in their university, whereby bring back the technology into Nigeria to apply it in agricultural practices.
“According to the University by next year June there will be opportunity for our students to apply to them and our university here will be co-supervisor with their own university there. For the research institutions we have people who have been working for years who need to learn about the new technologies. They are saying there will be scholarship for this set of people if they are willing.
“One of the innovations from the presentations that I will say is like the bioscience agriculture is already existing here but then we can go there, and our students now, their own method of curriculum is whereby they spend 50 per cent in the classroom and 50 per cent in the field, and they can bring their technology here, students too can go to their university and share ideas and would be able to bring it back here. These are new so even partnership and sharing ideas are a way of innovation also.”
Meanwhile, the Rector, Binyaminu Usman Polytechnic, Hadejia, Prof Zilkifilu Abdu, commended the Moroccan varsity, saying the partnership should be fast tracked to build the dwindled manpower of extension agents who are the key vehicle that goes between the farmers and new technologies and application.
“It is a good effort by OPC Africa and UN6P University in Morocco coming to share their own views with Nigerian scientists, especially in the universities and polytechnics.
However, he also called on federal and state governments to focus on increasing the number of extension workers if the diversification of the economy would be realized through the agricultural sector.
“I am calling on the federal and state governments to look into this issue of inadequacy of extension agents in Nigeria.
“The solution is one the approach we are currently using which is organised farmer training and also increase the number of extension agents.
Also speaking was the Head of Department, Crop Science and Biotechnology, Imo State University, Owerri, Prof Onuh Martin Onuh, who expressed hope that such synergy and collaborations will definitely help the agricultural sdector in Nigeria.
“It is a good effort by OPC Africa and UN6P University in Morocco coming to share their own views with Nigerian scientists, especially in the universities and polytechnics.
“My University will like to collaborate with them in the area of environmental protection. Like OCP they produce fertilizer and they are in business who do not want their fertilizer to go down. They preach the use of fertilizer to farmers, but for us yes, farmers should buy fertilizer and pour into the soil, which helps crops to grow and harvest”, Onuh said.
However, he expressed concern about soil complexity, which everything is dumped into the soil, and what happens to the soil after fertilizer is added to the soil as it accumulates in the soil waiting for another crop or other things, which at the end there is environmental soil pollution as a result of excess of phosphate, nitrogen, sulphur or any of this mineral.
“How now do we take care of it by fighting the toxicity? Some places in Nigeria do not need fertilizer but cleaning up. And it is important to test the soil to know whether phosphate fertilizer is needed or not”, he cautioned.
