Agriculture

Don Proffers Solution to Food Insecurity

By Web News 92

By Rotimi Famakin

Adapting mechanized farming for food production, encouraging research and partnership, and implementing agricultural policies have been emphasized as the major factors that would help Nigeria achieve food security.

Professor of Agricultural Communication at the University of Ibadan, Kuta Yahaya, stated this during the second phase of his three-phase lecture for the Institution’s 45th lecture, held at the Trenchard Hall.

In the lecture entitled: Decolonization as a Golden Key to unlock Food Security, Professor Yahaya said the government needed to diversify food sources, promote social safety net, encourage collaboration across sectors and enhance the policy framework, as well as eliminate farmers-herders conflicts.

The Don noted that the challenges militating against food security in Nigeria include double taxation, insecurity, cattle rustling, and finance.

He commended President Bola Tinubu’s Agricultural Policies which he said are being felt in the country’s food sub-sector.

The Professor of Agriculture stressed the need for the government to learn from Niger, Borno, Osun and Oyo States that had initiated and transformed agricultural practices to business ventures.

He said the government needed to partner developed countries as done in Niger state which partnered China and can now boast of a mechanized farming system engaging male and female youths in the agricultural value chain.

In his response, the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Bago said the lecture adequately addressed numerous challenges food security is grappling with in the country.

The third and final phase of the lecture, “Multi-Sectoral Options in the Decolonization of Food Security in Nigeria,” will take place on Thursday, March 20th.

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Religion

Many religious conflicts are less about God – Don

By Web News 747

A lecturer at the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies, University of Ibadan, Professor Afis Oladosu says majority of struggles branded as religious are less about God but for selfish interest.

Professor Oladosu, who is also the Dean Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan, stated this at the Trenchard Hall while delivering the 489th Inaugural lecture of the institution. 

He said a lot of conflicts being tagged as religious were actually less about the creed or faith and much more about gaining power and material prosperity. 

“Spaces of conflicts around the world commonly branded as religious are actually less about God and more about the preservation of spaces of power and economic survival”.

Professor Oladosu identified promotion of peaceful relationships by government agencies among various ethnic and religious identities and communities as essential for development of the country.

He called on Ministries, Directorates and Agencies, MDAs of government to remove all policies and regulations that constitute infractions to the nation’s constitution especially those that have to do with freedom of religion.

“Is it because I am a Muslim? is being asked in the town, far away from the quietude of the gown. It is being asked in the Nigerian Immigration Office where Muslim women are constantly being told to remove their hijab as a precondition for the issuance of international passports.

Is it because I am a Muslim? was the question Amasa Firdaws asked when she was initially denied the chance to be called to bar simply because she wore Muslim Hijab “.

The don called for the expansion of African studies programme of  University of Ibadan to include Middle Eastern and North African Studies as this would enhance intra- African relationship.

“Indeed, the establishment of a program in Middle Eastern and North African Studies in this part of the world has become a desideratum. Such a program when established here in Ibadan would strengthen intra- African relations and enhance the status of our University as the primus interpares in the sub-saharan region”.

In a remark on the lecture, JAMB Registrar, Professor Ishaq Oloyede said some individuals used multiple identities to pretend to be fighting religious cause.

The well attended lecture had in attendance other dignitaries including Oyo State Deputy Governor,  Engr Rauf Olaiyan, his wife, Professor Amdalat, Aare Musulumi  of  Yorubaland,  Edo and Delta, Alhaji Dawud Akinola and Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of Southwest Nigeria, MUSWEN, Professor Muslih Yahya. 

The topic of the inaugural lecture is “Arab-Islamism, Afrabism and Contrapuntal Criticism”.

 Ridwan Fasasi

Education

Oladosu Delivers 489th UI Inaugural Lecture April 15

By Web News 1223

All is set for the 489th in the series of the University of Ibadan inaugural lecture to be delivered by Afis Ayinde Oladosu, a professor in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies and Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan. 

The lecture will be held on Thursday April 15, 2021 under the chairmanship of the Acting Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Professor Adebola Ekanola, at the Trenchard Hall of the university.

A cultural critic, Professor Oladosu scholarly horizon and expertise covers Arab-Islamism, Arab-Muslim Modernities and Middle-Eastern and North African Studies. 

He will be speaking on the topic: “Arab-Islamism, Afrabism and Contrapuntal Criticism”.

 Professor Oladosu, a member of the Governing Board, National University Commission (NUC), has also participated in and presented papers in local and international conferences and seminars on Arab-Islamic culture, terrorism, peace-building, gender in Arab societies, law and religion and on globalization.

 He has served and still serves as external examiner for under- graduate programmes and as assessor for professorial promotions for universities in and outside Nigeria including the International Islamic University, Malaysia (IIUM) and University of The Gambia, Banjul. 

Before his promotion to the rank of Professor at the University of Ibadan in 2011, Oladosu had competed for and won the following international fellowships and scholarships: 2006 Fulbright Scholarship to the University of Southern Maine and Southern Maine Community College (SMCC), United States; 2007 Bill Gates Scholarship and Fellowship of African Scholar Program among others. 

He is also a member of many learned societies including American Studies Association (ASA), United States, Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), Nigerian Association of Teachers of Arabic and Islamic Studies (NATAIS), Association of Professional Translators of English-Arabic in Universities (APETAU) and so on.

 According to the erudite scholar, Nigeria will realise its destiny and achieve its potentials only when concerted efforts are made by Ministries, Directorates and Agencies (MDAs) of government to remove all policies and regulations that constitute infractions of the nation’s constitution. 

He added that the promotion of peaceful relationships among the various ethnic and religious identities and communities in Nigeria by government agencies is a sine- qua-non for development and advancement. 

According to Professor Oladosu, one of his philosophies in life is to always be committed to the production of human capital without which  no nation can develop.

Ridwan Fasasi