The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria is to leverage on Executive order No.5 to commence the production of farm implements developed by the Agricultural Complex of the institution to enhance mechanization.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kabiru Bala, who disclosed this at the 2022 National Agricultural Extension Review and Planning Meeting held at NAERL, ABU, Zaria, said the university is endowed with a fully developed Agricultural Complex with over 1000 hectares of farm for cultivation with large quantum of research and innovations.
He said ABU was developing an innovation and incubation centre so that findings and innovations could be fully harnessed to promote agricultural mechanization and enhance food security.
“We have these farm implements and tools developed by the faculty of agriculture and Institute for Agricultural Research.
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“The university would partner with places like ‘Panteka’ in Kaduna which serves as the innovation hub of Kaduna Polytechnic to develop some of these equipment,” the vice-chancellor said.
Bala added that ABU would not wait for fantastic building and equipment before it starts the production of such implements, stressing that some of the machines and innovations for agricultural mechanization developed by China and other countries were initially developed without sophisticated workshops.
Earlier in his remarks, The Executive Director of NAERLS, Prof. Emmanuel Ikani, said it was high time the government fully embraces commercial agriculture and stop paying lip service to the sector.
