BUK’s Multi-Million Naira 22 Hectare Research Farm Commissioned

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Latest: BUK’s Multi-Million Naira 22 Hectare Research Farm Commissioned

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Mohammed Nanono, on Friday, 20th December, 2019 commissioned Bayero University’s multi-million Naira research and training farm at Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA).

The farm, which is 22 hectare and planned for all year round farming, is the biggest and first of its kind in Nigeria’s tertiary education. It is fully equipped with facilities for drip and sprinkler irrigation, fertigation, infield and controlled environment crop production.

The Minister called for the CDA’s support to collaborate with the federal government and other institutions to boost food production in the country. He congratulated Bayero University for establishing one of the best, modern and biggest research farms in Nigeria.

Alhaji Nanono said he was aware of the CDA’s achievements as one of the most performing centres in Africa, noting that it wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the University Management. He called for further collaboration between BUK and his ministry to build human capacity in land and water management to help combat the challenges of climate change and its effect on productivity.

The Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, who formally launched the CDA’s Africa Centres of Excellence Impact Project, congratulated the university and specifically the CDA for winning the World Bank’s $5m ACE Impact grant.

Represented by the Director Public Affairs in the National Universities Commission (NUC), Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Yakasai, the Minister said BUK has achieved significant milestone in addressing some of the key challenges facing sub-Saharan Africa through the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA).

In his remarks, the ACE National Coordinator, Dr. Joshua Attah, stated that the ACE project was initiated to promote regional specialization among universities in the participating West and Central African countries and the aim is to strengthen high quality training and applied research. He said CDA is not just a BUK project but regional project helping to address common regional challenges.

He enumerated a number of successes recorded by CDA to include enrolment of international students from 11 countries, winning additional grant of $5m from World Bank, collaborating with many national and international organizations, generating over N150m on its own and proving to be one of the top performing centres in Africa.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Ibrahim Gambari said the CDA through its activities is contributing significantly to national security, by addressing challenges of unemployment, food production, wealth creation and poverty alleviation.

Presenting his welcome remarks, the Director, CDA, Professor Jibrin M. Jibrin highlighted the achievements of the centre since inception in 2012, saying that the Centre has metamorphosed to become a regional Africa Centre of Excellence. He said the resources and facilities in the CDA could be harnessed to strongly support the federal government’s efforts towards improving agricultural productivity and diversifying economy.

Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello said he was highly impressed with the Minister of Agriculture’s visit to launch the farm as well as his laudable support and contributions. He emphasized that the CDA would continue to build the capacity of people to contribute to the manpower development.

The ceremony witnessed the official commissioning of laboratory facilities of CDA.

Goodwill messages were presented by some key partners of CDA.

Previous: Minister of Agriculture to Commission Research and Training Farm in BUK, First of its Kind in Nigeria’s Tertiary Education

All is now set for the official commissioning of the training and research farm of Bayero University, Kano in the Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA) by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Mohammed Nanono. The CDA’s Africa Centre of Excellence Impact Project which it competitively won a $5m World Bank grant will be launched.

Centre for Dryland Africa’s research and training farm is the first of its kind in any Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Briefing journalists on Tuesday, 17th December, 2019, the Director, Centre for Dryland Agriculture (CDA), Professor Jibrin M. Jibrin, said the commissioning would take place on Friday, 2019 at the main Campus of Bayero University, Kano.

The Director told the journalists that the centre’s Africa Centre of Excellence ACE Impact Project won through a competitive grant of $5m from the World Bank would also be commissioned by the Minister.

He said under the new World Bank supported project titled: Africa Centre of Excellence for Development Impact (ACE Impact), the CDA would consolidate on its previous achievements and work with relevant sectoral key players to develop and mount training, research and outreach programmes that will make impact on livelihoods of the inhabitants of the dryland areas of West and Central Africa.

Professor Jibrin further explained that the CDA has planned to establish a Regional Innovation, Training and Entrepreneurship Accelerator (RITEA) in which the youth will be trained in modern intensive agriculture (both in-field and in protected environments) and in bio-resource entrepreneurship.

CDA, which is an Africa Centre of Excellence in dryland agriculture, has enrolled 315 MSc and 84 PhD students from 11 countries of the West and Central Africa sub-region. Its academic programmes have attained national and international accreditation.