Agric Institute Sets To Equip Students With Agribusiness Skills

Akperan Orshi

The Rector, Akperan Orshi College of Agruculture, Yandev, Dr Samuel Ahemen, said the school has introduced additional courses in management to equip students with agribusiness skills

 Ahemen told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Yandev, Gboko, Benue that the school has expanded its curriculum to accommodate managerial courses to equip students to adopt agriculture as a business

 He said the new courses were designed to broaden the scope of students by equipping them with necessary skills to produce, organize and market their products for profit.

 The rector explained that in the past graduates were trained to specialise in their different areas of fields while the business aspect of the training was excluded.

 According to him, the decision to include managerial courses was to enable the schools’ graduates approach farming as business and not as vocation.

 ” In line with the vision of the new administration both at the federal and state levels, which aims at making agriculture a business, the school has introduced additional courses in management to equip students with managerial skills.

 “It is hoped that these students will be able to manage agriculture as a business when they graduate from here instead of looking for white collar jobs.”

 Ahemen, also a graduate of the school, regretted declining staff productivity and blamed it on non staff recruitment over 16 years.

 He, however, commended the incumbent administration for demonstrating tremendous interest in the well being of the institution.

 “When the governor paid us a visit and saw the condition of the laboratories, he was so disappointed that he refused to go round, but promised to construct laboratories and equip them.”

 The rector explained that the former administration under Gov. Gabriel Suswam, had awarded contract for the upgrade of the laboratory but had not executed it.

 “The contractor came and removed the roofing of the building and did not return to carry out work and the rains destroy the facilities in the building,” he said.

 The rector told NAN that unless the old contract is terminated, nothing can be done on the project.

 He explained that as soon as the legal works for the termination of the contract was completed, work on the laboratory would commence.

 On internally Generated Revenue (IGR), the rector, who did not disclose figures, said it was low but added that the school was not a profit making institution.

 He explained that so much of the schools’ revenue was lost to theft from neighbouring communities since the school was not fenced.

 “Most of our palm kernels were harvested by thieves since the place is still open and we have very few security guards.

 “They also steal our eggs in the same way and it has become very difficult to secure these products due to inadequacy of security personnel and lack of a perimeter wall around the school,” he said.

 He, however, said the college has commenced the fencing of the school to prevent intruders into the schools’ premises.