FECA unveils activities, logo to mark diamond jubilee

Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), has unveiled programmes and the anniversary logo to mark the diamond jubilee of the college, founded in January 10, 1957.

Disclosing this, yesterday, the Provost, Dr. Samson Odedina, said the school has made giant strides in its areas of mandate.According to him, the mandate is to train middle-level manpower in agriculture and also to engage in research and agricultural production with a view to enhance food security and boost farmer’s and government incomes.

Odedina, who is the first alumnus to become FECA Provost, added that agricultural revolution and innovation across the country is being sharpened and directed by people who studied at the ‘School of Agriculture, Akure,’ (now Federal College of Agriculture, Akure).

“Apart from the fact that the college is renowned for producing skilled manpower for the agricultural sector in the Nigerian Economy, the college as a world class training institution, has also remained in the forefront of cassava revolution, plantain revolution, value chain training and development, vocational training for unemployed graduates, agribusiness among others.

“The other issue is about the prospect of repositioning the college for the future. It is our determination to have more courses and expand the scope of our activities in the nearest future, adding that the school would admit students in forestry and wildlife, computer, statistics departments that are near final stage of approval by National University Commission (NUC).

Lamenting the major challenges facing the school to include discrimination to benefit from Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and the constant issue of land grabbing with its attendant court cases, he disclosed the school has scaled all legal hurdles placed before it and successfully moved the case to the court of appeal on behalf of the Federal Government.

He outlined a five-day anniversary events for next year to include: carnival, symposium, exhibition, Farm Field Day, Alumni/Student Day, commissioning of projects, convocation ceremony, presentation of awards to 50 distinguished alumni and three champions of agriculture in Nigeria and Africa; endowment funds, gala night and open air Thanksgiving service.