A lecturer at the Ekiti State University (EKSU) Ado-Ekiti, Professor Oyebode Famiwole, has suggested a panacea for the food insecurity ravaging the country. He has, therefore, called on the government at all levels to make agricultural science a compulsory subject for students in junior classes and all science students in all public and private secondary schools in Nigeria.
His belief is that the practice will combat the challenge currently facing practical agriculture described as pre-vocational and vocational subjects in the educational system. The varsity don gave the submission when he delivered the 85th inaugural lecture at the Ekiti state University, EKSU, Ado-Ekiti.
The don, during the lecture entitled, ‘Dynamics of Agricultural Science And Agricultural Education Pedagogies: The Missing Link Leverage,’ stated that most of the agricultural practices in the country, especially in the rural areas, are done by old farmers.
He said, “The old farmers are now getting older and dying off. There have never been enough youths in Agriculture, who are willing or skilled to go into production agriculture or agric-preneurship to replace the ageing ones.”
Professor Famiwole declared that only trained and professional teachers of Agriculture should be allowed by the government to teach the subject in all secondary schools. The lecturer suggested that “the activities of teachers and students on the school farm should be evaluated periodically” by the school authorities and other relevant government agencies. He also suggested how the funding of such farms could be taken off the government. According to the professor, “The PTA philanthropists and successful agro-based businessmen should fund school farm development through donations of farm resources or funds.
“The National Board of Vocational and Technical Education (NBVTE) in each state of the federation should work in collaboration with other agencies of government to be responsible for evaluating all the pre-vocational and vocational subjects in secondary school sin Nigeria.”
