The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, has called on Nigerian engineers to come up with new technique and innovation in preservation of yams.
Abdulkareem made the call on Monday when he received a delegation of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers (NIAE) led by the Vice-Chancellor of Landmark University, Prof. Adeniyi Olayanju.
He explained that such innovation would help to make the farm produce available all- year-round and in good edible condition.
According to the vice-chancellor, yam wastage would be a thing of the past when yams are properly preserved.
Abdulkareem said that efforts of the farmers that produced them would not be in vain and they would be able to earn better income from their sweat.
He, therefore, advised agricultural engineers to carefully consider, during their forthcoming conference, ways of preserving yam.
The vice-chancellor noted that such innovation would contribute in no small measure in tackling the problem of food shortage in the country.
“Agricultural engineers should make life easier for the farmers. It is a shame that farmers still have to climb the palm tree in this age to tap wine in spite of the technology available to us.
“You should ensure that farming is technologically-driven by coming up with indigenous solutions that will be cheap; yet serves the same purpose as the foreign technology,’’ Abdulkareem said.
The vice-chancellor advised his visitors to “take advantage of the technology that could be sourced locally to improve the life of farmers’’.
According to him, the knowledge within the four walls of the university must be transmitted to the farmers.
He promised that as many engineers as possible would be supported to attend the conference, saying that the University of Ilorin is open to collaboration with Landmark University.
Earlier in his remarks, Olayanju thanked Abdulkareem for making out time to receive the team.
He said that they were in the institution to seek support for the 20th International Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers holding from Sept. 16 to Sept. 20, 2019 at Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara.
