Gov. abiola Ajimobi has inaugurated some agro alied projects at Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH), Igboora.
Speaking at the ocassion on Saturday, Ajimobi said that the projects were aimed towards achieving food sufficiency, human capacity building and self-sustainability.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that among the newly inaugurated projects were Home and Rural Economics (HRE) building and a Garri Processing Factory.
Ajimobi commended the management of the institution for evolving other methods towards self-sustainability as envisioned by his administration.
The governor said that his administration had introduced several policies towards improving education standard, which had yielded positive results.
“Our administration has performed well across all sectors including education. We have introduced several policies towards improving education standard, and this has yielded great results,” he said.
Ajimobi said there had been no previous administration in the state that had matched his administration’s commitment to the welfare of workers, saying that salary arrears owed workers were caused by paucity of fund.
He urged workers to always embrace dialogue over issues rather than resulting to industrial action, saying any administration would not act beyond its capability.
Prof. Lateef Sanni, the institution’s governing council chairman, thanked the governor for his cooperation and support towards achieving great feats at the college.
He said that the diversification were targeted at generating fund towards self-sustainability and meeting the demand of education for empowerment.
“The efforts automatically fits into the vision of the college to becoming a leading centre of excellence for agricultural training, through the training of youths for innovation, food sufficiency and self-employment.
“Recently, Psaltry International gave opportunity to 20 of our graduates to be recruited and this is not the first time our graduates are being exposed to the industry.
“Our graduates are dispersed all over the country creating jobs for themselves and others while positioning themselves as agents of food sufficiency,” he said.
Sanni reminded the governor of his promise in paying backlog of salary arrears owed workers of the institution.
He thanked Prof. Felix Kolawole, Vice- Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Prof. Kolawole Adebayo, Project Director, Cassava Adding Value for Africa (CAVA II) and OYSCATECH team.
Earlier, Prof Gbemiga Adewale, Provost of the college, said the projects would ensure further development in human capacity building, enhanced economic prosperity and food sufficiency.
Adewale said that the projects would also serve as pathway to gradual realization of self-sustainability of the college.
“The new HRE building houses 13 offices, three standard classrooms, a crèche, two food and sewing laboratories, typing pool with store, two laundries with store, two open courtyards and a laboratory store as required by NBTE.
“The Garri factory facilitated by CAVA II in its efficient capacity should be able to produce 1.2 tons of Garri. It should be able to produce 22 bags of 50kg bag in eight hours.
“Output will surely increase if production hours increase. This effort is a giant stride taken to increase internally generated revenue of the college,” he said.
He commended the Ajimobi-led administration in the state for its commitment towards making agriculture a major driver of growth in the state as demonstrated through Oyo State Agricultural Initiative (OYSAI).
