Professor of Economics, Olorunfemi Proffers Solutions to Food Insecurity in Nigeria

Professor of Economics, Olorunfemi Proffers Solutions to Food Insecurity in Nigeria

A Professor of Economics, Sola Olorunfemi of the Department of Economics, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, has cautioned against the precarious state of food security in Nigeria, urging immediate action from government authorities to avert what he termed an impending time bomb.

Prof. Olorunfemi handed down this warning on Tuesday, December 12, 2023, while delivering the 21st Inaugural Lecture of the University, titled, Fragilities of Food Security amidst Macroeconomic Issues: A Ticking Time Bomb!.

Highlighting the fragility of food security in Nigeria, Prof. Olorunfemi stressed the vulnerability of the food situation, emphasizing the need for urgent intervention. He recommended that federal and state governments heed the available warnings and implement solutions to address the looming threat of food shortage.
Professor Olorunfemi recommended encouragement and enhancement of local food production to ensure stability in both production and supply; allocation of additional arable land for farming purposes to support increased agricultural activities; increase in financial allocation to the agriculture sector to strengthen research and extension services; and an upward review of household incomes to make them less prone to food insecurity.
The professor emphasized the importance of public enlightenment on household nutritional requirements and urged the implementation of policies to reduce the cost of food. He called for educational programmes to raise awareness about adequate nutrition, vocational training to improve skills and income-earning opportunities, and proper planning of households.
The Professor of Economics highlighted the significance of population control policies, reduction in family size, attention to the dependent age group, social services policies for easy accessibility, stable macroeconomic policies, and microeconomic policies designed for increased food production and economic access to food.

He warned, The fragilities of food security are seriously with us. The food situation in Nigeria is so fragile; delicate and unlikely to be able to resist strong pressure or attack if care is not taken. Therefore, to avoid the imminent time bomb, the federal and state governments ought to heed available warnings and implement solutions to the impending threat of food shortage.”

“Increased food supply and food availability enhance stability in both food production and supply. Local production of foods that are of low availability in the country should be encouraged. More arable land should be allotted for farming purposes; and enabling conditions should be provided as incentives for more participatory engagement in the agricultural sector.

“More funding should be allocated to the agricultural sector, while there is need to strengthen alternative financing such as agricultural insurance schemes, farmers cooperatives etc. The more income a household earns, the less prone to food insecurity the household tends to become. Therefore, effort must be made to prioritise more income generating opportunities for the people.

“Food prices are also essential determinants of food security. Food prices seem to be rising faster than the income of households. As a result of inadequate purchasing power, the poor households may not have access to food. Since the government does not exercise control over food prices, and given the lack of formal safety net, it is recommended that it is important to design and implement policies that will eventually reduce the cost of food.

He argued that the development of infrastructures in rural areas was parallel to agricultural development, urging, Facilities such as good feeder roads will enhance evacuation of output and transportation of inputs to the rural areas. In particular, on-farm storage facilities are appropriate for specific agricultural enterprises. Such storage structures should be designed and commercialized for use in rural areas.”

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, had earlier in his remarks, said apart from being a momentous academic ceremony, marking the celebration of an academic staff member’s appointment to professorship, Inaugural Lecture served as a platform to share accomplishments in research, innovations, engagements, and teaching with the University community and the wider public.

AAUA: Professor Akinwumi Delivers Inaugural Lecture. Advocates Institute Of Fish Processing Technology to Combat Post-Harvest Losses

 AAUA: Professor Akinwumi Delivers Inaugural Lecture. Advocates Institute Of Fish Processing Technology to Combat Post-Harvest Losses

Professor Olusegun Akinwumi, an expert in Fish Post-Harvest Technology at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), has emphasized the critical need for establishing a dedicated Institute of Fish Processing Technology within the country.

According to him, the primary aim of this institute would be to address the alarming losses faced by fish farmers, caused by the absence of effective and acceptable preservation techniques for their harvests.

In addition, Professor Akinwumi urged both governmental bodies and organizations at various levels to provide interest-free loans to individuals well-versed in fish processing. This incentive would encourage them to embrace and construct integrated fish processing technology (IFPT) structures, ultimately generating more job opportunities and fostering accessible markets for fish farmers.

Prof. Akinwumi made these statements during the delivery of the University’s 20th Inaugural Lecture titled “Fish Post-Harvest Losses: Arresting the Arresters,” which took place on Tuesday, August 22, 2023.

The lecturer, who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), stressed that post-harvest losses, encompassing physical, quality, and economic aspects, result from enzymatic spoilage, oxidation/chemical/non-enzymatic spoilage, microbial infestations, and pest impacts.

According to Professor Akinwumi, achieving sustainable fisheries in Nigeria is marred by a series of obstacles. These include inadequate fishing infrastructure, exorbitant labour costs and inputs, limited access to credit facilities, insufficient skills in fishing gear usage, lax enforcement of fishing laws, over-exploitation of species, encroachment due to urbanization and housing, and the escalating use of agrochemicals, among other issues.

He pointed out that globally, about 600 million livelihoods are dependent on fisheries and aquaculture. Furthermore, Africa employs approximately 12.3 million individuals within these sectors, with 10 million directly engaged in fish production. Additionally, there are around 19.55 million professionals and artisans involved in secondary activities associated with fisheries in Nigeria.

In the revelation of substantial economic data, Professor Akinwumi disclosed that the fisheries sector annually contributes N133.45 billion to the national economy. However, despite this notable contribution, the country still relies on fish imports to fulfil consumer demands.

The Inaugural Lecturer highlighted the limitations of the traditional practice of smoking fish, emphasizing its susceptibility to inevitable spoilage. He provided farmers with essential guidelines to ensure maximum returns on their efforts.

According to him, one important golden rule to forestall fish post-harvest losses is: Do not embark on fish production or fish harvest if you are not sure of the immediate market. Without an available market, you will be forced to sell or preserve/store fish in desperation and frustration. Practice good fish-rearing management, including adequate and quality fish feeding because the health of the fish at the point of harvest is closely related to the rate of its deterioration after harvest.

“Fishers/fish farmers should encourage lower fish catches/landings/ harvest per day because higher landings can cause the overwhelming of the storage and processing facilities which could result in higher fish losses; except there is a ready market to sell.

“As much as possible, the fishers/fish farmers/fish traders should sell live fish and or immediately preserve fish in ice or refrigerate soon after purchase or delivery. Fish preservation should not be an after-thought but a well-planned process because a delay in the proper preservation also decreases the fish post-harvest value.

He further advised, After harvest or delivery, fishers and fish processors/fish traders should direct efforts at removing heat and lowering the surrounding temperatures through the use of ice, cooler boxes and refrigerators for preservation. Fish catches should not be exposed to direct sunlight in order to deny the microbes and pests that cause spoilages in fish the source of energy or food they need to thrive and grow.
Sacrifice / kill the harvested fish by percussive stunning (hitting the fish’s head with a wooden or plastic club) in order to delay rigor mortis. Do not kill fish by hypothermia (killing fish in iced water); it quickens the onset of rigor mortis. Freshly harvested fish should be consumed immediately before the onset of rigor-mortis.

Proceeding further, he offered advice regarding the preservation of smoked fish under a consistent electricity supply. In such cases, he proposed that smoked fish could be either oven-dried or refrigerated. These measures would effectively impede the survival of certain spoilage bacteria. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of using air-tight packaging materials for storing dried fish. However, he underscored the necessity to consume these stored fish within four weeks (one month) to ensure freshness.

The former Dean of Science also cautioned against consuming dried fish stored on open shelves. He pointed out that such fish might contain microbial cells, urging vigilance in this regard. Furthermore, he advocated against the practice of storing dried fish openly, as it could lead to microbial contamination.

In his opening remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, emphasized that Inaugural Lectures constitute an integral part of university culture. He further affirmed that Adekunle Ajasin University is committed to continually implementing measures that enhance its institutional principles.

He lauded Prof. Akinwumi as an academic luminary, whose wealth of experience spans decades of both classroom and fieldwork, both on a national and international scale.

“With a wealth of administrative experience, Prof. Akinwumi has played a pivotal role in the advancement and development of tertiary education within the state. His diverse roles within the University system have made substantial contributions to its administration and growth,” he said.

How We Put God At Risk By Blaming Him For Human-Induced Problems – AAUA Don

 How We Put God At Risk By Blaming Him For Human-Induced Problems – AAUA Don

The actions and inactions of man, particularly political leaders, put God at risk of sharing in the blames when they exempted their failures and lack of responsibility and accountability as acts of God.

This was the submission of a Professor of Religious Studies, Benson Igboin, while delivering the 19th Inaugural Lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, entitled, “The Risk Being God.”

Igboin posited further that some political leaders wielded powers of life and death in the course of governance, and were quick to attribute failures of governance to acts of God, thus avoiding to accept responsibility by cleverly shifting the responsibility for such acts on God, leaving many to blaming the omnipotent for such acts.

He also pointed out that unlike scientists and atheists, believers further impugned the character of God and put him at risk with the dissonance between their beliefs and what they think, say and do.

In his words, “The theological metaphor of power strongly resonates with our politicians. I have analysed such recurrent phrases as ‘by the grace of God,’ ‘Insha Allah,’ and ‘Acts of God,’ which predominantly form the political, philosophical, and religious refrain of politicians, and came to the sobering conclusion that the people will continually be deceived by their political rulers’ excessive reference to God and the scriptures.

“When bombs blast, when elections are crudely rigged with stark evidence of human carnage, when whole villages are wiped out overnight, when corruption stinks and stings, when morgues are safer than the hospitals, or the dividends of democracy are brutally denied the robbed voters, our politicians-in-chief are fast in referring to them as the acts of God.

“If these are all acts of God, where exactly are the acts of men and women in Nigeria? What are the acts of Satan? Such fatalistic responses to the state’s failure have been ingrained in the citizenry such that challenging anything is regarded as unpatriotic.”

Prof. Igboin added that God would continue to be at risk of being demystified if theists continued to pursue unbridled materialist pleasure as a hallmark of salvation and if God was not adequately understood and designated.

He posited further that God would continue to be at risk if humanity continued to physically and violently defend God, and aggressively pursued the bios-based ethics to the utter neglect of the mora-zoic ethics that guaranteed human flourishing, humanity would put itself at greater risk of extinction whilst it indicts God for not acting to prevent its self-destruction.

“The more God is instrumentalised, the more he is at risk. In other words, once God is conceived as a means to an end, he is indicted and put at significant risk. God is at risk when God is loved for what humanity believes it stands to gain from him. He becomes a disposable being whose worth depends on his human-determined performance.

“It is clear that it is not so much the atheists of scientists who put God at risk. The atheists fully understand whom they deny or reject. By their negative characterisation of God, they show their deep reflection on the nature of God. However, those who claim that they believe in their created gods have put the uncreated God at risk. The atheists most solid and profound ground for rejecting or denying God’s existence and omnipotence is the religious behaviour of those who claim to believe in and defend God. Therefore, if God is at risk, the believers put him at risk by what they think, say and do.”

He argued that, If God exists and he is knowable as various religious believers want us to believe, it is difficult to know the particular God that exists in which they want us to believe. If the God they want us to believe in is the same God that they individually absolutise, then the God they want us to believe in must be different from the God that exists. The God, who the believers want us to believe in is a God that they have described in limited form, which raises the question of whether the God they want us to believe in is the same God they claim exists.

The Inaugural Lecturer noted that every believer who ‘claims that God exists tends to absolutise their position or belief in God’s existence somehow, adding that the belief in God by Nigerian ‘religioscape has been the boon and bane of national unity.

He posited that, The God of Idahosa is not a poor God; the God of Kumuyi is a holy and righteous God; the God of Adeboye is a miracle-working, and city-building God; the God of Oyedepo is a prophetically and politically-charged and wealth-giving God who blesses on the basis of tithe-giving; the God of Oyakhilome is a youthfully exuberant God who possesses some knowledge of pseudo-science; the God of Okotie is not only apocalyptic and bombastic in his use of words, but also politically ambitious.

The God of Bakare is not only prophetically political, but also perpetually and politically ambitious to the point that he declared himself the indisputable successor to President Buhari; the God of Rev. King is a sexually promiscuous and life-destroying one, the God of Apostle Ayodele is a prophetically emotive one, the God of Odumeje is comically the liquid metal, the fight, the lion, the Indaboski Bahose.

The God of Enenche is the theatrically performing God, in the Christ Apostolic Church, you either hear supplicants call on the God of Babalola at Arakeji or the God of Obadare at Koseunti, whilst the God of Olukoya is a demon destroying God; the demons must indeed die in the name of Jesus! The God of Mbaka is a prophetically passworded one who has sagaciously subordinated prophecy to statecraft.

According to Igboin, the cacophonies of the voices of many pastors and their followers claiming to be prophets, no doubt, put God at risk.

Speaking earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, had defined inaugural lecture as a platform for Professors to ventilate their experiences and knowledge with a view of positively impacting the society.

He described Prof Igboin, as a well-travelled and sought-after scholar who has attended and presented papers at over 129 conferences and workshops globally, adding that the prolific academic has co-authored and edited 12 books combined, has chapters in 61 books, and has published over 103 articles in learned journals.

AAUA Inaugural Lecture: Don Calls For Interdisciplinary Efforts For Wealth Creation

 AAUA Inaugural Lecture: Don Calls For Interdisciplinary Efforts For Wealth Creation

A Professor of Adult and Industrial Education of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, Moshood Ayinde Hassan, has stressed the need for partnership between any university that houses an industrial education and training section in its Department of Adult Education and other disciplines for transfer of knowledge and skills, leading to provision of services to the public and production of income.

Prof. Hassan gave the counsel on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, while delivering the 18th Inaugural Lecture of the University, entitled, Tapping the Untapped Wealth: Adult Education, Non-Formal and Industrial Education on a Mission.

Prof. Hassan said, The key to spreading skills and knowledge residing in almost all disciplines is with any University having Department of Adult Education where industrial education and training unit is domiciled. Depending on the quality, resourcefulness and commitment of staff therein, spreading of skills and knowledge will be accompanied with services to the people and income generation that can help such a University to discharge its statutory duties to the society.”

The Lecturer, who described informal learning as any kind of learning which does not take place within, or follow from, a formally organised learning programme or event, said, The 21st century requires synergy and collaboration amongst specialists within and outside the field of adult and non-formal education. Therefore, adult and non-formal education practitioners and theoreticians need to work with one another on one hand, and both should collaborate with other specialists from other disciplines in order to satisfy the needs of clientele in all ramifications.

He noted adult and non-formal education as development education which summed up the provision of knowledge and skills required in all segments of the society, while advising Universities to establish outfits where components of Adult and non-formal education can be explored with a view to making it useful to members of the public, from where the Universities will generate income.

Prof. Hassan, who is also the incumbent Dean of Faculty of Education, noted wealth as financial benefits that could be realised from the provision or utilisation of various components of adult and non-formal education by individuals, cooperate organisations, government at all levels and educational institutions,

While urging government to fast-track industrial development of the country through the establishment of cottage industries, small and medium industries, he called for strengthening of assistance institutions such as Industrial Development Centre (IDC), SMEDAN, Local Loan Organisation, NASRAL, FIIRO, and BoA, among others.

He said University administrators and other academic staff should be receptive to the idea of learning more about Adult and non-formal education in order to be able to reap the benefits therein, adding that, The adult education sector and the Universities in Nigeria should also be prepared for the arrival of Massive Open Online Courses, MOOCs, and the fourth industrial revolution. They need to prepare their curriculum to model a national, open and distance learning system. This should happen now, as it is very likely that open and distance learning systems are just around the corner.”

He posited that AAUA could make a fortune out of its Department of Adult Education, saying, With the abundance of Academic staff in the Department who come from heterogeneous aspects of discipline of Adult Education, I make bold to say that utilisation of components in Adult and non-formal Education will bring in to the University billions of naira through working in collaboration with government agencies and other stake holders.”

In his Opening Remarks, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, had congratulated the Inaugural Lecturer on fulfilling the academic rite, while noting inaugural lecture as ‘an academic tradition that is often considered a rite of passage for professors. It provides an occasion for the university to celebrate the appointment and acknowledge the accomplishments of the appointed academic’. According to him, it is an opportunity for the Inaugural Lecturer to showcase his expertise, research interests, and academic achievements.

AAUA Inaugural Lecture: Don Proffers Solutions To Budget Recklessness, Corruption In Public Service

 AAUA Inaugural Lecture: Don Proffers Solutions To Budget Recklessness, Corruption In Public Service

A Professor of Accounting at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Felix Olurankinse, says reformation of budget processing, adoption of zero-based budgeting system, avoidance of extra-budgetary affairs, diversification of the economy, adoption of multi-year budgeting approach, reduction in the cost of governance, and adoption of public sector budgeting model as ways out of budget recklessness and alleged rampant cases of corruption in the civil and public services.

Prof. Olurankinse gave the recommendations on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, while delivering the 17th Inaugural Lecture of the University, entitled, “Budget Profligacy and Governance Failure in Nigeria: The Tripartite WHATS?”
The Inaugural Lecturer said, “If Nigeria is to depart from its present state of alleged cases of corruption of public officials which is our greatest challenges and build a budget institution based on trust, transparency, accountability and probity, the government must think more about motivation in the public service.

“The public officials must be motivated so that their advancement of self-interest can approximate the advancement of public interest. When government officials are properly rewarded, corruption will be drastically reduced, accountability will be enshrined, and we shall have a functional budget.”

He added, “Government officials are fond of spending money arbitrarily and embarking on project that are not provided for in the annual budget. The spending of government funds outside the budget should be discouraged and any government official or political office holder caught indulging in such acts should be adequately punished.”

Prof. Olurankinse, who defined a nation’s budget as the key to its economic performance as it provides a road map for government activities and programmes for a fiscal year, said instead of adopting foreign budgeting models, government should consider the nation’s peculiar political, economic and institutional factors in budgeting.

He also lamented the lopsidedness of recurrent expenditure against capital expenditure, saying, “The cost of governance in Nigeria is humongous due to excessively high cost of government contracts. There is an overbearing of recurrent expenditure at the expense of capital expenditure to actually stimulate the economy. Capital inflows need to be ring-fenced for effective budget performance.”

He stressed the need for involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including agencies, civil organizations, civil societies as well as financial experts in the process of developing budgets, adding that ‘the desire to eradicate or reduce poverty level and enhance efficient allocation of scarce resources in the country has altogether caused the focus on budget to assume a greater importance and prominence.

Earlier, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, had congratulated the Inaugural Lecturer on presenting the 17th Inaugural Lecture of the University.

 
The VC, who said the 17th Inaugural Lecture was a call to action on the part of governments, noted that as academics, students, policymakers, and citizens, we all bear the responsibility to advocate transparency, accountability, and good governance. According to him, we must all demand reforms that strengthen our institutions, eradicate corruption, and foster competent leadership at all levels of governance.
 
“Not only this, today’s discussion holds a special significance and provides a platform to engage in a thought-provoking discourse on a matter of utmost importance to our nation as it brings to mind the mind-boggling profligacy and wastage that have plagued budgets at both state and federal levels; a development that has stunted economic growth and progress in our nation.”

Why Indigenous Knowledge Is Important For Our Survival

 Why Indigenous Knowledge Is Important For Our Survival

A Professor of Philosophy, Benson Monehin Akinnawonu, says in order to foster African development through indigenous knowledge, conscious efforts must be made to salvage the endangered African indigenous languages and knowledge from drifting into oblivion.

Prof. Akinnawonu, on Tuesday, February 9, 2021, gave the submission while delivering the 16th Inaugural Lecture of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, Nigeria, entitled, “The Philosophic Spirit in the Quest for African Sustainable Development and the Imperative of Indigenous Knowledge Forms”.

The Inaugural Lecturer also submitted that the skewed and deviant behaviours that are today prevalent among youths in Africa were partly attributed to the unfortunate decline in Africans awareness of the place and importance of proverbs in the literary and social life of the people of the continent.

He said, “The growth and preservation of indigenous knowledge of all kinds for the purpose of development must be given priority attention if Africa must progress among the Comity of Nations. All the branches of human knowledge, especially the sciences and the humanities, that evolved from natural philosophy, must by necessity appreciate the cultivation of the philosophic spirits of rationality and enquiry which are the hallmarks of human intellectual development”.

Prof. Akinnawonu stressed the need for recognition of Philosophy across all levels of education and its inclusion in the core sciences in order to address the problem of value deficits across the globe and integrate capacity for enquiry, critical thinking and sense of morality.

According to him, “Government’s focus in the education sector should not only be directed to the core sciences i.e., Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), philosophy should be incorporated in order to integrate capacity for enquiry, critical thinking and sense of morality in the school’s curriculum. A modified STEM is, therefore, proposed called STEMP where P represents Philosophy”.

Prof. Akinnawonu, who labelled as misgivings the assumption by some people that studying philosophy does not guarantee job placement, described philosophy as an important discipline whose value both to the individual and the society cannot be underestimated without grave consequence, and advised governments, proprietors and other stakeholders in the education sector to exercise caution in their curricular review decisions not to undermine the relevance or the important value of philosophy to nation building and sustenance of the good life.

He noted the conscious efforts made by philosophers in Africa in justifying the existence and status of African philosophy necessitated his deep focus on the critical examination of some selected African beliefs, juxtaposing them with western paradigms.

He noted that cultivation of the philosophic spirit has become imperative to human survival and society’s advancement, stressing that philosophy has been the foundation of all universal principles.

He said, “Rather than denigrating the discipline of Philosophy, all other disciplines should engage in research collaborations with those in philosophy for the advancement of knowledge. A river that forgets its source will definitely dry up. This is presumably the reason why things have fallen apart in the continent of Africa.”

While arguing the need to jettison some aspects of the traditional culture that are anachronistic and lacking the requirements of rigour and rationality as available in the western culture, the Professor of Philosophy advocated the revival of “our traditional moral values through the promotion and development of our rich indigenous knowledge forms.”

He lamented the negative impact of globalization in the area of information technology on the youth, including violent songs which are capable of increasing hostile feelings and aggressive thought, calling on the regulatory bodies such as the National Censor’s Board (NCB), to focus more on censoring and regulating the nation’s system of communication.

“The declining learning and use of the indigenous languages among African youths call for concern. What Africans need to do, therefore, is to develop the right attitude towards preserving the continent’s rich cultural heritage, identifying the various categories of indigenous knowledge, promote them and adapt them as basis for African development.

Prof. Akinnawonu, who posited that proverbs were full of hidden meanings accepted by Africans as expression of truth and wisdom, added that the preservation and improvement of indigenous folklores would also provide a veritable channel for cross cultural comparisons and knowledge sharing.

The Inaugural Lecturer noted that proverbs form a great part of a peoples’ traditional repository of what they consider to be of great value and concern to them. He observed with dismay that many indigenous languages in Africa, particularly Nigeria, were endangered with extinction.

In the same vein, Prof. Akinnawonu, lamented that the ignoble African Time Syndrome has emerged as one of the major problems confronting the continent in its quest for development. He said an earlier research carried out by him on African and Western concepts of time showed that the attitude of Africans toward time keeping is a function of the subjective nature of their time reckoning.

He said, “African’s attitude toward time keeping is a function of the subjective nature of their time reckoning which has become inherent trait of African consciousness. This has manifested in African’s inability to keep appointments. This trend tends to tempt people into believing that Africans are not time conscious. “

He said the genuine liberation and development of Africa cannot be attained unless it is based on a critical analysis of the traditional conceptual schemes that are typical of African society.

Speaking earlier the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof Olugbenga Ige, had highlighted some of the key areas that Prof. Akinnawonu had served the University in his three decades of teaching career. He said Prof. Akinnawonu, who was among the staff that relocated with the University from Ado-Ekiti to Akungba Akoko in 1999, had served in various capacities, including acting and substantial Head of Department of Philosophy; acting and substantial Dean of Faculty of Arts; and presently serving as the Director of Academic Planning of the University and a member of the Governing Council of the University.