By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
The Secretary to the Borno State Government (SSG), Alhaji Bukar Tijjani has described the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) as an inspiration to students, junior professionals, policy makers and fast tracking agricultural development.
Tijjani stated this at the IAR Centenary celebration held at Balarabe Tanimu Conference Hall, IAR/ABU, Zaria, as a guest lecturer.
He said, the institute has contributed immensely to the development of not only Northern Nigerian, but the nation as a whole.
According to him, IAR alongside other research institutes are the ones that made Nigeria a commercial agriculture giant in the 70s when groundnut, cotton, cocoa, palm oil, hides and skin and Arabian Gum among others, were sustaining the economy.
Alhaji Bukar Tijjani said, as an agricultural professional and a global expert, he consider IAR as an agricultural revolution institute.
He called on government to adequately fund research institutes for more technology to be discovered.
In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Professor Kabiru Bala called on the Federal Government through the National University Commission (NUC) and Federal Ministry of Education to adopt the IAR and Faculty of Agriculture model of research and teaching/training by introducing the research and teaching/training components to all tertiary institutions, especially universities, for effective learning by the students.
Professor Kabiru Bala also wants all research institutes to be affiliated with universities and the universities should go and learn how the relationship will be sustained symbiotically.
According to him, the value of the arrangement is immensely effective utilization of resources, research for teaching students and lecturers for research development.
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Earlier in his address, the Executive Director Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) Professor Muhammad Faguji Ishiyaku said in a bid to set target for the IAR, the Federal Government as well as expectations of teeming farming communities nationwide, the institute has been developing and releasing almost on a yearly basis, new crop varieties of their mandate crops to suit different ecologies, bearing in mind the changing climatic conditions.
Faguji said, their current drive is to continue with developing drought tolerant, flood resilient and nutrition varieties to mitigate effects of climate change and nutrition security among Nigerians.
According to him, the institute is working assiduously together with their collaborators to put in the hands of Nigerian farmers, crop varieties that can withstand or tolerate flood to minimize losses often experienced in the face of flash floods across the country as well as those that can tolerate the other extreme conditions of drought and extreme heat.
The director added that, IAR’s output has culminated in the release of over 200 improved crop varieties for agricultural development and improvement of farmers lot for enhanced access to food by Nigerians.
