UI Final-Year Students Win Switzerland Grant Award

A five-person team comprising four final-year students from the Department of Agronomy and one final-year student from the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ibadan, has won a grant award worth Three Hundred and Ninety Seven Thousand Naira (N397,000:00) from the Food System Caravan of Switzerland.

The team members are Oluwatosin Adebanjo (Soil Resources Management/Crop & Horticultural Sciences); Israel Akinlabi (Soil Resources Management/Crop & Horticultural Sciences); Jamiu Adisa (Soil Resources Management/Crop & Horticultural Sciences); Sakirat Raji (Agricultural Extension and Rural Development) and Oluwatumininu Olutayo (Soil Resources Management/Crop & Horticultural Sciences).

This was revealed by the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Idowu Olayinka on Wednesday August 12, 2020, via his social media handle.

He said the award was in respect of a proposal to train 70 youth and women within the University community and the neighbouring communities on Sustainable System of Organic Vegetable Production.

“We congratulate the five students for the success of their grant application while also wishing them a timely completion of the project which promises to further strengthen the tie between the gown and the town, with opportunities of a further scaling up,” Olayinka wrote.

“We thank the Heads of Departments (Prof Julius Akinyemi Fagbayide, Dr Kolapo Olatunji Oluwasemire and Prof John Oyinlola Oladeji) and the Project Supervisors in the three Departments for the quality leadership and mentorship,” he added.

Olayinka further stated that the goals of the project include ensuring food security in the University and her environs — Ajibode, Agbowo and Orogun.

He also said the project would create a source of income for the selected youth and women resident in the university and its environs.

Olayinka added that better management of the agricultural waste generated from the University Teaching and Research Farm is also an added advantage.

Meanwhile, the VC revealed that the former Department of Agronomy has been split by the Senate of the university into two departments.

According to him, the departments are Soil Resources Management and Crop and Horticultural Sciences.