By Opeyemi Olawore
The Executive Secretary of Network for Agricultural Technical Education of Nigeria (NATEN) Mr. Newton Ovie has called on Tertiary institution to embrace digital (online) Training as a means of stimulating the interests of youth in agriculture.
The Executive Secretary stated this during his working visit to member institutions within the South West Axis at the weekend, where he tasks the OYSCATECH campus working committee of NATEN to work as a think Tank for the Institution.
Mr. Newton Ovie who was warmly received by the Acting Rector of Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, Mr Isiaka Adekunle and Campus working Committee said with the highly experienced personnel in tertiary institutions, member institutions must occupy the digital space in order to train the youth, on profitable agricultural enterprises.
According to Mr. Ovie, “part of my working visit to middle level tertiary institutions is to stimulate the response of college based committees towards young persons and help them develop strategies to use in reaching out to the young persons in the way and manner that is attractive, so that the young persons would key into it.
“If the ageing farmers must be replaced by the youths, then tertiary institutions must turn agricultural courses to agricultural enterprises and make agriculture attractive to the youth.”
He added that OYSCATECH should be ready to take the Polytechnic to another level by joining other member institutions who have become Entrepreneurship Development Institute (EDI).
He stressed the need for lecturers to provide right mentorship and partnership with big players in the agricultural industry.
He revealed that NATEN is presently working with an Indian SME on how to assist lecturers from member institution to acquire a technology that can process different types of agricultural products.
He called on member institution to come up with twenty innovative proposals with agricultural extension component for due consideration.
He also called on the campus based committee to establish Agric Clubs in Secondary Schools.
While speaking on the objective of NATEN, Mr. Ovie is to make agriculture glamorous and attractive to Nigerian youths.
The Acting Rector, Mr. Isiaka Adekunle in his response commended the NATEN for its quest at making agriculture attractive for Youths in the country.
He pledged the institutions commitment to NATEN and its various programmes.
The Chairman of the OYSCATECH Campus based Committee and the Deputy Rector, Dr. Taiwo Akinyemi thanked the Executive Secretary for the visitation.
