Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, the Secretary General, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities, has advocated for a technology-driven approach to modern agriculture and food production in Nigeria.
Speaking at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB)’s 31st Convocation Lecture on Friday, Ochefu outlined the transformative potential of precision agriculture, drones, robots, driverless tractors, Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms, soilless farming, and vertical farming (urban agriculture).
The Convocation Lecture is titled “From Baby Boomers to Generation Alpha: Interrogating Generational Dynamics and Agricultural Education in Nigeria”.
The Lecture delved into generational dynamics, tracing cycles from the Silent generation (Great-grandparents) through the Baby Boomers (Grandparents), Generation X (Parents), Millennials (Young adults), to Generation Alpha (Teenagers).
The convocation lecturer highlighted the 25-year generational cycle in African societies, emphasising that three generations co-exist with distinct experiences and pre-occupations.
He described the Baby Boomers (born between 1946-1964) as the architects of the current technology-driven world.
Ochefu, former Vice-Chancellor of Kwararafa University, Taraba State, stressed the need for Nigerian universities, particularly higher institutions, to embrace the virtual reality of Generation Z.
He urged them to shed conservative traditions, acknowledging that universities play a dual role – offering ideas that shape society, while also holding onto traditions that may no longer align with current realities.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Occasion, Oba (Prof.) Saka Matemilola, the Olowu of Owu kingdom, commended the relevance of the Lecture, noting the significant shift from crude agricultural practices to a technology-intensive era.
Matemilola explained the importance of encouraging technology-savvy individuals born in the age of digitalisation to take an interest in agriculture.
In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, affirmed his administration’s commitment to providing skills and transformational knowledge.
Kehinde highlighted FUNAAB’s focus on remaining at the forefront of education with agriculture as its flagship programme.
Prof. Kehinde restated the role of the Convocation Lecture in exposing graduands and stakeholders to modern trends in agriculture education, signaling the institution’s determination to evolve into a 21st-century University.
