Expert Calls for Increased Investment in Agriculture, AI to Boost Food Security

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A Professor of Food Science and Technology, who doubled as Secretary General of the Association of African Universities (AAU), Prof. Bandele Oyewole, has emphasised the need for increased investment in agriculture and the adoption of new technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), to boost food production and ensure food security.

He recommended that Researchers should focus on tackling problems related to food production and security, in an innovative way rather than busy writing journals that will be shelved in the long run.

Oyewole called on the government to invest more in agriculture to support farmers and improve food production.

He stated this during a retirement procession ceremony organised by the Senate body of Federal University of Agriculture FUNAAB, to celebrate the outgoing of the Ex VC.

Professor of Food Science and Technology said farmers should be empowered with new capabilities, including the use of improved crop varieties and mechanisation, to increase productivity.

While speaking on the role of AI in Agriculture, he highlighted the potential of AI to assist farmers in planning and decision-making.

” By leveraging AI, farmers can benefit from advanced knowledge and connections, enabling them to make informed decisions and improve their productivity”.

Prof. Oyewole also emphasised the need for change leadership at all levels, calling for committed leaders who are innovative and willing to improve processes that are essential for driving progress in agriculture and food security.

Collaboration and teamwork are also crucial for achieving improvements in food production and security. He said.

According to him” for improved food security. One, our researchers should wake up and ensure that they tackle problems.

And there’s the need for the government to invest in agriculture, and then we need to empower our farmers with new capabilities to be able to use improved varieties of crops.

I mean, introduce mechanisation into our processes, and I think we can. We can produce more”.

” AI is available to assist us in so many things, in that what we cannot do physically, AI can help us plan. For example, as a farmer, just tell AI what you want to do. It will give you the plan, and you’ll be able to benefit from advanced connections, advanced knowledge on what you need to do with the way things are going.

“Now we need to make a change in leadership, not just at the top alone, even at the institutional level, departmental level, we need to have committed leaders who are ready to be innovative to improve. Things still should not go on the way they are. We need to work together to make improvements” he concluded.

At the retirement ceremony, Professor Oyewole launched three books which he described as the Bible of his life.

The three books are Investments for. Fulfilled and Impactful life, Courage to Be Different, and Don’t die before your Time.

Earlier in his welcome address at the Senate Ceremony held in FUNAAB, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Olusola Kehinde, said that, having served the university and also as the 5th Senate Chairman, it is pertinent for the school to celebrate him.

“The Senate felt we should just celebrate that grace of God in his life, and not just celebrate but a Senate that had the privilege of him being the chairman of this Senate from the 24th of May, 2012 to the 23rd of May, 2017”

“And so we felt that the Senate of this university should gather today to appreciate God for his life, to wish him well and to say a big thank you, and to appreciate him for the Meritorious Service that he gave to our university, and that’s why we are here today to celebrate Professor Olusola, Bandele Oyewole”.