(Prof Adenike Oladiji. Photo Credit; Punch News)
The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Ondo State has announced that it is ramping up its investment in agriculture and technology-driven food production as part of its contribution to tackling Nigeria’s worsening food insecurity crisis.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, made this known on Friday during an inspection of ongoing projects on campus, noting that many of the initiatives are being funded through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
She explained that as a technology-focused institution with a strong background in agriculture, engineering, and sciences, FUTA feels a responsibility to go beyond conventional approaches and actively contribute to solving the country’s food production challenges.
To that end, the university has been deliberately expanding its agricultural infrastructure, particularly in poultry farming and crop production.
The poultry project, which had previously fallen dormant, has since been revived and significantly scaled up growing from an initial flock of 150 birds to 500, then 1,000, and now an additional 4,500 birds.
The Vice-Chancellor said the goal is to position FUTA as a notable player in poultry production within Ondo State and beyond.
Beyond poultry, the university now operates a feed mill where students are trained not just to grow crops but to add value to them.
Prof. Oladiji noted that rather than simply harvesting and selling raw produce like corn, the university now teaches students how to process that corn into animal feed suitable for broilers, layers, turkeys, and fish representing a shift toward a more value-driven agricultural model.
The university also runs greenhouse facilities that enable year-round cultivation of crops such as bell peppers, and many of its agricultural and research programmes are designed with the needs of students, staff, and international visitors in mind.
To further support its growing research profile, FUTA has also constructed a dedicated accommodation facility for visiting researchers and accreditation teams, addressing a longstanding challenge of inadequate lodging on campus.
Projects inspected during the visit included a locally fabricated greenhouse, hostel facilities, teaching and research farms, and laboratory and museum infrastructure.
