SAYS AGRICULTURE IS WHERE THE MONEY IS
Admin l Monday, July 10, 2017
OJO, Lagos, Nigeria – “I set up my farm in Igbodu, Epe 18 years ago and within that period, we have had over 100 people who are already multimillionaires joining us by starting their own farms in the same area. You have the advantage of interacting with people like that. You must start thinking in a new way and believe in yourself… when I look back at the years I spent as an accountant, I say they are wasted years. Agriculture is where I should have been.”
Those were some of the words of Chief Emmanuel Ijewere, Chairman, Best Foods Fresh Farms Ltd, and Co-ordinator, Nigeria Agric Business Group, who started his accounting career in 1965 as he fired-up students of the Lagos State University School of Agriculture, Epe at the Faculty’s Commencement Lecture held on Wednesday, 28th June, 2017, at the Epe Campus of the University.
Chief Ijewere who was the Guest Speaker at the Commencement Lecture of LASU’s newest School – the School of Agriculture, enlightened the eager audience on the competitive advantage of engaging in farming activities in Lagos. He pointed out that the potentials for the students, and indeed the members of staff and the Public present at the programme to make good returns on investment in Agriculture was indeed high.
“With due diligence, adequate information and a good business plan, you have all it takes to succeed in Agriculture. Today, you have the population of 68% of Nigeria’s middle class live in Lagos and 78% of them live between Onikan and Epe Bridge Roundabout. You can also pass a wide range of information online as there are agencies ready to fund good ideas with good business plans. So you could not have come at a better time. You now have many things working to your advantage as a farmer”.
In view of the gradual disappearance of available lands for farming in the State, Chief Ijewere appealed to the State Government thus: “Of the 10,000 cattle being consumed in Lagos daily, less than 500 of them are reared in Lagos. There is therefore a problem because competition for land in the State is between agriculture and housing. There is a need to create a food basket out of a place like Epe. We can carve out expanse of land in the area solely for farming where fresh agriculture produce can be produced for the teeming population of the State”.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. ‘Lanre Fagbohun in his address charged, the 28 Pioneer students of the School about their roles in the history of the Institution“When this Faculty is being spoken about, you (students) will go down in history as the proud pioneer students. You must recognize your roles in History as the pioneer students at the School of Agriculture. You are leaders in your own right and you can be leaders anywhere in the world. Let no one tell you otherwise”.
About the Guest Lecturer, the Vice Chancellor said, “…. Chief Ijewere started as an Accountant. But today, he is into agriculture and many other things. That tells you that you can achieve whatever you set your minds to do’’
Other Speakers at the programme including the Commissioner of Agriculture, Hon. Toyin Suarau, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Olayiwole Onasanya; the Special Adviser on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Dr. Shamsidia Adison who was represented by Dr. Shamsudeen Allison, the Ag. Dean, School of Agriculture and host of the Programme, Prof. O.B. Kehinde, were unanimous in their submissions that Lagosians need to start investing in Agriculture.
Also present at the event were the Elemuron Oferuwon, HRM Johnson Adebayo Kubena and his Olori; the University Librarian, Dr Adebambo Oduwole; the Registrar, Mr Lewis Akinwunmi was represented by the Deputy Registrar, Exams and Records, Mrs H.M Kaka, Deans of Faculties, Directors of Centres, Heads of Departments and other members of the University.
