
The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), Canada, in conjunction with Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife and the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, has sponsored a-day workshop for decision makers in Nigeria.
The Training/Capacity Building Workshop on Scaling-up Lifelong Learning for Farmers(L3F) in Nigeria held at ACE Annex OAU Knowledge Park, on Saturday, in Ile-Ife.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Osun , Prof Clement Adebooye, in his lecture: “Collaborative Actions of L3F for SDG,” expressed that learning is a continuous exercise and for farmers to be agriculturally progress and profitable, they must advance technologically.
Adebooye said that for Nigeria to achieve the SDGs for this generation and incoming ones, there must be thorough lifelong learning for farmers
According to him, farming has gone beyond the era of hoes and cutlasses; for technological advancements has taken place, only farmers that didn’t join the train would have him/herself to be blame later.
The Speaker emphasised that the ages of flimsy excuses had gone, for many modern implement has been on ground to plant, remove weeds, wetting seeds and harvesting inclusive.
“With lifelong learning for farmers, agriculture would be more easier for them, interms of making their sales through telephone calls and transportation to near and far.
“Sustainable Development Goals would be easily achieved and farmers would be able to have maximal profit through implementation of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
“Smart agriculture needs to be prioritised by farmers through indirect learning so as to have greater productivity”he stated.
“Lifelong training would help the youths to use their phone, ICT tools such as small messages to draw the attention of their colleagues at the urban areas to agricultural activities which would arouse their interest back to farm thereby gainfully employed.
The Vice-Chancellor called for successful strategy to scale-up lifelong learning for farmers through NGOs connection, relevant ministries and agencies, engaging policy and proper legal frame-up.
Adebooye urged farmers to plan ahead, for lifelong learning is a team work, appealed to the organizers of the training to ensure they involve the relevant stakeholders to the team of lifelong learning.
He advised the organisers to ensure that they carried the policy makers at the local, state and federal government along and ensure that the policy must be carried to community that’ll factorise it.
Earlier, the Head of Department (HoD) Agricultural Economics, Prof Adebayo Akinola, welcomed all to the workshop, emphasised that anyone who stops to learn is dead whether at twenty or eighty’s.
Akinola maintained that whosoever keeps learning stays young, adding that the greatest thing in life is to keep ones mind young.
He appealed to the participants to make use of the training to gain a lot, for learning is a continuous exercise to improve the future endeavours.
Also, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Prof. Akinloye Farinde, said that the collaboration came at the right time, saying that lifelong training would bring comfort home, future, enabling environment for capacity building.
Dr Olufemi Oladunni, the Director, Agricultural & Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, said that the collaboration between his Institute, Commonwealth and OAU has been from the oncept and assure of continuity.
Oladunni in his lecture titled: “Lifelong Learning for Farmers towards the attainment of the SDGs goals in Nigeria” explained that the training would benefit food security and agricultural production in Nigeria.
He adding that Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) led Nigerians to Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) that’s going to mature in 2030, saying that life is a learning moment and serious ones would continue to learn till death.
The ARMTI Director emphasised that if lifelong learning could be impacted to government policy the SDGS objectives would surely be achieved by 2030, whereby there would be no poverty again.
Oladunni stated further that learning innovation would bring zero hunger, there’ll be good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation which would give brighter future for farmers across the board.
Also, the Agricultural Economist, University of Ibadan, Prof. Victor Okoruwa, delivered the lecture, titled: “Prioritising the value chain for the attainment of SDG of Self-Sufficiency”.
Okoruwa said that food chain can be prioritise through right education like ICT, reaching out to farmers, educating the right stakeholders in the system to achieve common goals in the value chain.
Prof Adeolu Ayanwale, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), said that the workshop is a means of scailing-up lifelong training for farmers in Nigeria.
Ayanwale adding that to build the capacity of farmers through lifelong learning would improve the productivity across the country.
He noted that there’s a knowledge gap among the farmers which resulted to discouragement of youths from farming, lower productivity, lower level of welfare among farmers among others.
“But if lifelong learning persist within the farmers, there would be a positive change among the farmers.
“Women can be included in agricultural programmes of the government, for them to improve their productivity, output per unit area, such that at the end of the day the main aim of sustainability development goals would be achieved.
“Especially no poverty, leaving no one behind and there’s no hunger among others, all these would be achieved by using lifelong farming for farmers”. He said.
According to him, the workshop was meant for decision makers such as: permanent Secretary, directors and general managers of parastatals, Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), Ministry, Federal and State parastatals.
Others are: principal officials in agricultural sectors among others so as to serve as catalyst to encourage others.
He advised farmers to take interest in lifelong learning so that at the end of the day, everyone will be highly benefitted.
Earlier, the Head of Department of Agricultural Economics, OAU, Prof Adebayo Akinola, welcomed all the participants to the programme and commended the organisers of the programme.
Akinola said that the programme came at the appropriate time and was designed to bring together farmers, learning institutions, banks and information and communication technology providers to facilitate learning for development in the rural area.
According to him, the workshop would empower vulnerable farmers and their families to gain knowledge on skill development, increase their productivity, food security and would liberate agricultural communities from socio-economic constraints.
He assured the participants that lifelong learning for farmers would improve their incomes through quality produce and would increase their livelihood and eradicate poverty at the rural area.
“This makes it an inevitable tool for rural community development and a means for the achievement of Millennium Development Goals of eradicating hunger and poverty”, he stated.
Also, the Faculty Member of ARMTI, Dr Adeola Aremu, who delivered lecture on: “Gender-responsive strategies for attainment of SDG”, said that women has been maginalised previously.
Aremu stressed on discrimination among the gender especially women farmers, saying this should be avoided.
She suggested that the same opportunity should be given to both gender so as to achieve the sustainable Development Goals.
She called for women participation in decision making, empowerment and capacity building, financial assistance, security and transformation information among others should be part of gender-responsive strategy.