The President, Commander in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has challenged the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, to unlock the nation's vast agricultural potentials by resuscitating the production of Cocoa and the variety of Soya Beans called the “Ife Brown” through more potent research in Agriculture. He stressed that doing so would not only provide the springboard for the nation's industrialisation, but bring back the contributions of the cash crop, Cocoa, that once supported the economy of the old Western Region, to the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), in the wake of the dwindling fortunes of the oil sector. Speaking, on Saturday, 12 Decemst ber, 2015, at the 41 Convocation of the University, the Visitor, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, said that the fate of Cocoa had happened to most other cash crops cultivated in Nigeria which, if revitalised as accomplished in rice production, would add to the resultant value chain. He also recalled that the “Yam Pounder” was researched and developed in OAU and reiterated the need to make Agriculture the backbone of the nation's economy. President Buhari noted the giant strides of OAU, hosting the first and best Faculty of Pharmacy in Nigeria and the tremendous progress in research into the management of Sickle Cell Anaemia as well as producing great Pharmacists like Prince Julius Adeluyi, a former Minister of Health. He raised concern on what had happened to some research results from the Institution, noting, however, that although the Bone Marrow Transplant procedure was providing promising results for the cure of the disease, other Nigerian universities have not emulated the Ife example. He added that as soon as the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme was finally approved, it would support the clinical management of prescribed medications. The President disclosed that the Ife Model for the training of medical doctors was now being revisited in the Nigerian University System (NUS) because the products of the University had excelled in many developed countries, with over 2,000 renowned physicians of various specialisations, some of whom had received mention by the US Congress, practicing in North America. He, particularly, commended the exploits of one of its product, Dr. Oluyemi Badero, a distinguished Nigerian Cardiologist in the USA and encouraged the country's experts in the diaspora to utilise the opportunities provided by the NUC’s Linkages with Experts and Academics in the Diaspora Scheme (LEADS), to assist the tertiary institutions on short term visits. The Visitor informed the Convocation that, while his Administration would continue to improve access, equity and quality in the NUS, he would place emphasis on infrastructure and teacher development, curriculum reform, relevance, funding and planning, in order to bring about the expected change in the nation's socio-economic, political, cultural and technological endeavours. He added that the Federal Government would also invest heavily in Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and skills development to meet the nation's middle level manpower needs and eventually promote national growth. The President noted that TVET would impart the necessary skills and competencies required by artisans, technicians and technologists as well as ensure that they were enterprising and self-reliant. The President also gave the assurance that Government would provide the necessary support for the 10 Centres of Excellence in the country one of which is being hosted by OAU; the Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering, to guarantee their sustainability. He implored the Institution to be at the vanguard of the nation's economic diversification through the establishment of Industrial Parks. He observed that the University could be the Silicon Valley of Nigeria with the harnessing of its Nigerian Museum of National History as well as other sites and facilities in and around Osun to promote research and tourism. He advised all universities to leverage on the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN), an IT Platform that was domiciled in the NUC, being the only one that was in operation in West Africa, saying that it would encourage the development of West and Central African Regional Education Network (WACREN) for the sub-region.
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