Our Universities of Agriculture and the quest for food security

Why set up a University of Agriculture and not reap the benefit? I have been asking myself this question.

Food to all intents and purposes is expensive in Nigeria. What makes it worse is that unlike Joseph in Pharaoh's Egypt, in times of plenty we sell cheap and waste food to go hungry subsequently.

Even in high school economics, students are taught about silos and storage but in Nigeria, they remain textbook ideas.

Universities of Agriculture are supposed to be specialist institutions but I understand host communities usually push for more in terms of comprehensive Universities.

Furthermore, I understand that agriculture as a course is very unpopular among students.

Shall we bring our colonial masters to teach us what to do?

There is no food. You set up a University of Agriculture, host communities say no and students refuse to enrol for agriculture.

As a student, I recall that students of Education were given bursaries. For our food situation, instead of Central Bank of Nigeria, giving loans to portfolio farmers, students could be given bursaries to study Agriculture.

Our teeming population makes farming very lucrative. The Universities of Agriculture should be put to optimum use. We need them and they just have to deliver.

In Maslow's hierarchy of needs, food comes first. Let us ensure food security and see our society undergoing tremendous change. It is no rocket science.