OCP Africa in partnership with the ‘University Mohammed VI Polytechnic’ (UM6P) morocco has begun an effort to explore collaborative opportunities with Nigerian universities to broaden agricultural education and promote global best practice among farmers.
Caleb Usoh, Nigeria country director, OCP Africa speaking at the interactive forum with representatives from University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) as well as other Nigerian universities in Abuja on Tuesday said that the collaboration seeks to foster a network and relationship between the university in Morocco and the Nigeria universities around issues of technology, environment, agriculture, and innovation.
“This meeting is organised between OCP Africa, UM6P to interact with the Nigeria university community to foster networking and collaboration between the university in Morocco and the Nigeria universities around issues of technology, environment, agriculture, and innovation,” Usoh said.
“The program is structured around the entire agricultural value chain, from the soil fertility, agricultural practices, and production. We collaborate with other companies to boost productivity by attending to the need of the farmers as it falls into the drive of OCP Africa to enhance productivity in agriculture within Africa,” he added.
He stressed the need for a review of the university curriculum to focus on the reality of the agricultural industrial need and the structure of the economy, we need to change the curriculum and make it tally with the realities obtainable in the country.
Usoh said that efforts are on-going to partner with the Federal Government as well as blending plants across the country, to build farmers’ capacity, deepen access to quality farm inputs and expand access to technology.
Veronica Obatolu, executive director, Institute of Agriculture research and training, Obafemi Awolowo University in her remark commended the effort of the OCP Africa saying that the initiative is timely as it seeks to improve agricultural productivity by broadening the knowledge of both students and farmers alike.
“This program is a welcome development as it focused on improving productivity in the value chains as well as improving livelihood by creating wealth through agriculture,” Obatolu said.
“When we talk about education and research, we talk about sharing ideas from one region to another; hence we appreciate this partnership as it aims to broaden our knowledge in agriculture. OCP Africa through the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) is reaching out to us through technology and innovations to better our knowledge on agricultural best practices.”
Onuh Martin Onuh, Professor of the Department of Crop Science and Biotechnology, Imo State University said that the partnership is aimed at developing the agriculture department of the universities through technology, fertilizer, water management, and agricultural practices.
“We need to key into this initiative because Morocco has gone far in agriculture, we can leverage on their technology and the wealth of knowledge to boost agriculture productivity,” Onuh said.
“This program will have a positive impact on the students, what was presented to us today is interesting and will impact positively to our agricultural space, it is important for us to partner with them in the area of agriculture,” he added.
HARRISON EDEH & Cynthia Egboboh, Abuja
