The feat recorded by Kwara State Polytechnic recently on the cultivation of maize worth Thirty Million Naira is commendable. This success story has raised questions in the mind of many about the impact of the seventeen year old, Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH), Igboora. Our attention was equally drawn to a banner been circulated with the inscription, “what is Igboora doing?
It behooves therefore to bring to the front burner some of our achievements of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology the last seventeen years. First, there is no crime in asking questions and whoever asks questions surely desires an answer. The enquiry is a pointer to the awareness level that OYSCATECH, Igboora exists and also has a major role to play as a specialized institution. It is immodest however, for anyone to jump into conclusion that the entire institution concerns itself with theories without practical.
As a 17–year old institution which prides itself as a centre of excellence in Agriculture, Technological Advancement and Management for innovation, food sufficiency and self-employment, I wish to submit that the core mandates of any tertiary institution is Teaching, Research and Community service.
With every sense of modesty, OYSCATECH has not been found wanting in these areas. Our efforts in the areas of human capacity development and community service before and now have been acknowledged locally and internationally.
In the past, OYSCATECH had collaborated with Michigan State University, USA on Agric. Youth Lab project targeted at out of school youths under the sponsorship of Master Card Foundation. OYSCATECH, Igboora was a local partner on the project, while IITA was the international partner.
OYSCATECH, Igboora also had the opportunity of collaborating with Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB) on Cassava Adding Value for Africa phase I & II (CAVA I &II) funded by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In terms of Fisheries development, the institution is a major collaborator with the University of Ibadan on Integrated Fish Farming sponsored by the World Bank through CORAF/WECARD. The project brought together Farmers within Ibarapa, OYSCATECH Students and Secondary School Students in Igboora for training on Integrated Fish Farming which focused on the integration of Rice and Piggery with Fish Farming for the first phase and the integration of Rice planting with poultry and Fish Farming. In order for farmers to have all round year round agricultural activity on a fish farm for economic sustainability of farmers who adopt the concept. A visit to the institution will x-rays her giant strides both in research, training and community service.
Besides, Winrock International Farmer-Farmer Bee Keeping Project sponsored by Master Card Foundation was another international project that brought farmers in Igboora together with international trainers who provided top-notch training in Apiculture. For farmers who are into honey production, theft and bush burning are major challenges confronting them. We are not immune from these challenges as well.
However, our products and thousands graduates who have been exposed to practical trainings in crop , animal production, fisheries, engineering, science laboratory technology, Home and Rural Economics among others are dispersed all over the country working as middle level manpower and are employers of labour or youths with their various brands. They are clear pointers to our land mark achievements and evidence of our collective efforts and labour.
In addition, the outstanding performances of our graduates and exposure to practical trainings have made them to be highly sought after in the industry.
Presently, OYSCATECH Igboora is among six selected schools in the South West on Women in Agriculture and Technical Education and Apprenticeship in Nigeria (WATEA) project sponsored by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the training of 3,000 women in Cassava Value Chain processing, Fisheries and Poultry Production. In OYSCATECH, 500 young women will commence training out of which 80 percent are women and remaining twenty percent, men.
Students of the institution are direct beneficiaries while the hand of fellowship has equally been extended to women within the community through the traditional rulers and local Government Chairman in the area, for the training which is starting in August.
The French Government delegates have been visiting the institution since 2020, 2021, 2023 and recently in July 2024. The WATEA Project provided an opportunity for two of our Staff to visit France in December 2023. Apart from that, some of our trainees under this project will have the opportunity to visit France as a means of exchange programme upon the completion of the training.
Similarly, the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora has secured the approval of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) on the training of Artisans on Skill-Up Artisan Project (SUPA) in 17 Trades and Enterprises in OYSCATECH and the registration is on-going for Artisans. The project is a Federal Government initiative.
Our collaborations with industry players dates back to 2009 while the institution is in the habit of harvesting reports of her Students performance in the industry. Presently in Oyo, Ogun and Lagos States which are the catchment areas, graduates of OYSCATECH who are widely dispersed all over are doing excellently well by providing middle level manpower needed in Agriculture and industry.
With our Polytechnic Status, apart from the accreditation by the supervising body, the NBTE, the institution equally secured the accreditation of ICAN for her Students in accounting to enjoy ICAN training and certification while on campus.
Up to date, Obasanjo Farm Nigeria Limited jostle for OYSCATECH graduates and they are often recruited on campus and during NYSC. With our collaborations with PsaltryInternational in Ado-Awaye, a cassava starch processing industry and Sorbitol producer in West Africa and local player in Africa, our graduates are usually recruited on campus and are part of the foundation staff of the organization.
By and large OYSCATECH has continue to widen her frontiers of collaboration in order to add value to our level of training and trainees. Niji Farm and IITA are part of the major collaborators with the institution. Also, the institution has signed an MOU with Nigeria Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ilorin. All these and many more are our efforts in training, research and community development.
Let me also mention that we have another on-going collaboration with IITA on Yam production and the farm plots have been cultivated. A tour of facility or field trip to OYSCATECH, Igboora will surely clear the doubt. Previously, our collaborations with IITA on Cassava Stem Multiplication project (SEEDS) cannot be forgotten.
As a tertiary institution with specialization in training for innovation, food sufficiency and self-employment coupled with the community of scholars and professional with up to 60 PhD holders, Veterinarians, Animal Scientists, Crop and Soil Experts, Researchers and Engineers, OYSCATECH can boast of competent hands who are saddled with training and character moulding for the youths to be worthy in learning and character. Without being immodest, under the past administration in Oyo State, OYSCATECH was the lead agency on Oyo State Agricultural Initiative (OYSAI) project , we got up to Fifteen Million Naira (#15M ) for the training in Aawe and Paago in Iseyin for the training and flag-off of the project, over twelve years ago. We have evidences of people who are practicing large scale agricultural enterprises in Oyo State as a result of the training.
Permit me to also bring to the fore, our collaborative efforts with National Agriculture and Technical Education Network (NATEN) which adopted the Magany initiative of making agriculture attractive to Nigerian youth. Through NATEN, the institution had enjoyed training opportunities by foreign nationals on Grants Proposal Writing, Partnership and Stewardship as alternative means of finding. In addition, our partnership with NATEN has brought about several other opportunities with Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) among others.
Under the Federal Government, 100 FADAMA Guys were equally trained by the institution. OYSCATECH Igboora has training and research farm, ventures, Vocational Skills and Entrepreneurship Directorate, Students Industry Work Experience Scheme Directorate and Alumni Relations Unit under the office of the Public Relations Officer, monitors and track our Alumni success stories and create more linkages with the industry for our graduates.
Farm practice is a mandatory course for all students of the institution, irrespective of their course of study. Our training and research farm has Piggery, poultry, fish farm, farm practice, fish hatchery, cattle kraal, two modern Garri processing factories firstly donated by CAVA II project through Prof. Lateef Sanni, an international researcher and Governing Council Chairmanand the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Abuja for the second donation of cassava processing factory and a host of others for training and research.
Recently, one of our lectures, Dr. Adedayo Theodore on Post–Doctoral Degree facilitated the inclusion of five Nigerian scholars as Research Associates with an institution based in South Africa. Out of these five scholars, three are from Oyo State college of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora. By implication our lecturers are acting in the capacity of Research Associate (independent researcher) to Varsity College, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Annually, our lecturers have international exposure through foreign trips to nations of the world. These no doubt have positively impacted the visibility of the institution. In July, one of our lecturers who returned from United Kingdom after a two months research adventure on sustainable Cattle Production is facilitating another collaboration with Harper Adams University, Newport Shropshire Midwest England on behalf of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora.
Having highlighted some of the achievements of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, we are not unaware of some of the challenges which have impeded our capacity in the area of commercial farming. These include; insufficient land accommodation for large scale farming, non-payment of compensation on acquired land to land owners, lack of irrigation and straying animals within the environment who devour our farm land as well as paucity of funds for investment in this area.
Howbeit, we are not idle rather we have continue to explore the available resources and opportunities in agriculture and other areas. Our Yam, tomato, pepper and cassava plots have been cultivated already. We are also collaborating with the Chartered Institute of Commerce of Nigeria on training in various enterprises which will be handled direct by industry player through the establishment of a training center in the institution.
We are not in the habit of making public our gains in these directions but subsequently, we shall include that among our stewardship report .Our doors are ever open for more collaborations with industry players, donors and sponsors.
Together we can make Oyo State great, actualize the vision of food sufficiency in our State and return the lost glory, therefore, let us join hands with the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, a renowned training centre for youth for innovation, food sufficiency and self-employment.
Opeyemi Olawore
The Public Relations Officer
Writes from Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora
August 15, 2024
