The Federal Government has allocated N10 billion to kick-start commercial agricultural ventures in 10 Nigerian universities, an initiative aimed at enhancing agricultural research and food security.
The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund,Sonny Echono, made the announcement on Thursday during the inauguration of an Agricultural and BIOS Systems Engineering building at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi.
According to Echono, the intervention fund aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive for tertiary institutions to generate independent revenue rather than depending solely on government allocations.
“When we met with Mr. President, he specifically instructed us to prepare our universities to become self-reliant by exploring revenue-generating ventures like commercial agriculture,” he said.
He explained that 10 universities with vast agricultural land were selected to benefit from this initiative, and JOSTUM would be one of them due to its strong focus on agricultural studies.
Echono stressed the importance of modern farming techniques in transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
“In countries like the United States, only five percent of the population engages in agriculture, yet they produce enough food for their country and exports due to the adoption of modern technology,” he stated.
“With our fertile land and hardworking population, Nigeria has the potential to achieve the same if we properly train people and modernize agriculture.”
He also praised the JOSTUM Vice-Chancellor for effectively utilizing TETFund resources to improve the university’s infrastructure.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, commended JOSTUM’s management for wisely applying TETFund allocations.
Represented by the Director of University Education, Rakiyya Illyasu, the minister urged other institutions to follow JOSTUM’s example by investing in quality infrastructure.
“If all universities do this, within 15 years, our institutions will meet global standards, she said.
She further disclosed that by September 2025, another round of TETFund interventions would be disbursed to JOSTUM, which would be used to renovate hostels, classrooms, and other facilities.
