The members of staff of the newly-created College of Agricultural Science and Renewable Resources of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Iseyin Campus will resume in Iseyin on Monday, as academic activities will commence by September.
This was disclosed by the Provost of the College, Professor Jacob Adewale on Tuesday evening after inspecting facilities provided by the Iseyin community for the take-off of the institution.
Adewale said the inspection tour was in accordance with the directive of the State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde that the College should start academic activities by September and for the management of LAUTECH to see the readiness of the community to host the institution.
He told community leaders after the tour that the College will start off with two faculties, which are Faculty of Agricultural Science and the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources.
He said “no doubt, the establishment of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources, the Iseyin Campus of LAUTECH, is the dream come through. I reliably gathered that the Iseyin community had been looking forward to establishing a Higher Education Institution, by the Government, in the town, since about seventy (70) years ago. Thanks be to God and the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engineer ‘Seyi Makinde for the actualization of the dream of this community, by the establishment of the College.
“The College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin Campus of LAUTECH, has two Faculties: (1) Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and (2) Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources, While the former is already in existence, the latter is newly created.
“The existing Faculty has six Departments, and the new Faculty has four Departments, making a total of ten Departments. The existing Faculty has Professor A. A. Akingbade as the Dean, and Professor L. A. Alamu is the Acting Dean of the new Faculty.
“The departments in the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences are
Agricultural Economics (AEC),
Agricultural Extension and Rural Development (AER),
Crop Production and Soil Science (CPS), Crop and Environmental Protection (CEP), Animal Production and Health (APH), Animal Nutrition and Biotechnology (ANB)
“The departments in the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources are Aquaculture and Fisheries Management (AFM), Forest Resources Management (FRM), Wildlife and Ecotourism Management (WEM), Environmental and Resource Economics (ERE).
“The academic development of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources, Iseyin Campus of LAUTECH, is of paramount importance towards the actualization of the mission of LAUTECH, which is “to provide suitable condition for the advancement of knowledge through research and learning; produce self-reliant graduates, apply technology-driven knowledge to creativity and positively impact on the global environment, It also aims at becoming an epitome of integrity and service”.
“A carefully-crafted academic plan of the College has been set for its academic development. In the first academic session of the existence of the college (2021/2022), the University shall present an academic brief and a detailed curriculum on Renewable Natural Resources programmes to the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja for approval in order to admit students into the new programmes.
“Resource Accreditation by the NUC will take place in the second session (2022/2023). That is, one year after students’ admission into the Renewable Natural Resources programmes, the University is already working on the requirements of curricula, personnel, physical structures and facilities for teaching and training, such facilities include workshops, laboratories, and studios. In addition, in 2022, the NUC shall be invited to carry out re-accreditation of programmes in Faculty of Agricultural Sciences.
Research development of the college.”
The Provost hinted that a research and development unit will soon be established to facilitate an accelerated research development in the institution.
“In order to accelerate the research development of the college, a Research and Development Unit shall be established. The academic staff shall be encouraged to take the advantage of the institution-based research funds at Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).
“There shall be an establishment of a Training and Research Farm of the state-of-the-art, with facilities for students and staff research projects. There shall be students and staff experimental pens for livestock, poultry, fisheries, forestry, ecotourism, and wildlife. The college research programmes shall focus on the development of technological innovations in Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources that are cost-effective, and adaptive for Agricultural and National development.
“The college shall take off on the premises of the former Teachers’ Training College, Okeho Road, Iseyin., where its administrative building, two faculty buildings, and at least four lecture theatres will be located. The Teaching and Research Farm, and the Commercial Farm shall be located at the site along Iseyin – Ogbomoso Road, Iseyin. The productions on the commercial farm shall be sources of internally generated revenue (IGR) for the institution.
“The Institution shall acquire functional and state-of-the-art ICT system in a centre as well as campus wide networking for internet services. Staff offices would be connected to the Institution’s internet server and the staff would be charged some affordable amount for the services.
“Also, there shall be a provision of the facilities in the ICT centre for an additional role as a Computer Based Test (CBT) centre for examinations, as done at the main Campus. As the institution grows, additional facilities such as laptops and connectivity shall be provided at the ICT centre for the CBT of JAMB. Registration of Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates and conduct of UTME in the centre shall provide an easy access for the indigenes. It shall also be a source of IGR for the institution.”
The Chairman, Iseyin Development Union (I.D.U), Alhaji Bayo Raji said the development has called for prayer for the present administration to succeed in all its endeavors, looking at the fact that it has met the paramount need of the community.
He stressed the need for unity among indigenes to work towards a smooth commencement and sustaining the development needed in the College.
In his word, a former Senator representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Chief Gbenga Babalola, who took the management to his fish farm along Iseyin-Oyo road, said he was ready to relinquish the facility to the College, in as much as it would speed the development of Oke-Ogun and Iseyin community.
The fish farm has five functioning boreholes, feed mill, lecture room, incubation unit and a standby generator set.
A foremost indigene of the town, Alhaji Ahmed Raji also donated staff quarters of about seven chalets and boys quarters to accommodate some of the management staff of the College.
Raji who was represented at the event by the former Chairman of Iseyin local government, Alhaji Saheed Alaran said the occasion called for a true symbiotic relationship between what he called ‘the town and the gown’, adding that the community has so much to contribute for the successful take-off of the institution.
He called on other well meaning indigenes of Iseyin to rally round the College, as according to him, it is a flagship of better things to come.
