…ILRI Celebrates 50 Years in Nigeria
By: Clarion Olusegun
The Executive Adviser to the Governor of Oyo State on Agribusiness, Dr. Debo Akande, stated that at the core of every agricultural development is inclusive partnerships and collaborations with concerned stakeholders.
Dr. Akande, who represented the state Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, made this known today at the celebration of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) Golden Jubilee Anniversary in commemoration of the National Pasture Planting Day in Nigeria.
Akande, who is also the Director-General of the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency, emphasized the need to strengthen public and private synergy in the agricultural sector. He highlighted that this is the model adopted by the government of Oyo State.
His words: “There is no development in agriculture without partnership, and we have developed a model which brings together the private and public sectors. The model is working well as we understand the role of both the private and public sectors in agriculture.”
He added that the state also embraces development partners including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and ILRI, among others.
He said: “We also recognize that the two are not enough; we have seen the importance of development partners like IITA and ILRI and the creation of the Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub. It’s just two years since ILRI and Oyo State signed a MoU, and we’ve seen growth in the history of Oyo State, contributing substantial resources to the growth of livestock.”
According to him, Oyo State has taken a comparative advantage in agriculture to see development through the excellent leadership of the governor. He further stated that the government does not act in isolation and takes deliberate actions with necessary stakeholders.
He was optimistic that the partnership would continually be strengthened and developed with the expectation that over 1,000 livestock will be developed after the project.
During the ceremony, as one of the events to mark ILRI’s Golden Jubilee in Nigeria and in commemoration of the National Pasture Planting Day, the institute launched Ibadan’s Forage Genetic Resources Plot. It will house over 80 cultivars and accessions of tropically adapted and improved forage for livestock in Nigeria and West Africa.
Also speaking, the representative of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mrs. Akeredolu Olayinka Abimbola, said that the goal of the ministry is not only to address the renewed hope agenda but also to institute the much-needed tranquility in ending the clashes between herders and farmers in Nigeria. She expressed displeasure with the federal government and the ministry over the insecurity affecting farmers and herders.
She disclosed that the ministry is intentional about partnering with ILRI, “to increase the quantity and quality of the livestock industry by a minimum of 60% yield, to develop the sector, take care of all animals, the handlers, and the citizens.”
Commending the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari, she said that the ministry has developed grazing reserves, trained farmers in artificial insemination to increase indigenous breeding, and adopted a global action plan for animal genetic resources, among others.
Meanwhile, some participants shared their thoughts on what should be done to promote the sector, which according to them included the provision of technical support, institutional and private sector support, making pasture production lucrative, increasing training opportunities for livestock farmers and herders, improving extension services, and increasing research to generate expected success and growth.