Agric Minister, Nanono, Commissioned FUD Dutse Incubation Centre

By Umar Akilu Majeri Dutse

Federal University Dutse, FUD, has appealed to Federal Government to transfer the Nigerian Institute for Palm Oil Research to serve as center for date Palm in Dutse.

The appealed was made by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Fatima Batulu, at the commissioning of the Agricultural business incubation centre, AIC, at the university.

Batulu also seek the federal government to construct, furnish and equip the Tissue Culture Laboratory in the centre for Palm research.

According to Professor Batulu, the history of date Palm in Dutse Jigawa State capital is as old as history of Dutse itself because it has been a major source of income for the populace.

It would be recalled that Jigawa State has many variety of dates Palm that if researched into and commercially cultivated will multiply and the country will not need to import dates.

On the issue of agro processing productivity enhancement and livelihood improvement support, honarable minister of Agriculture has approved their request and proposal was made but yet no response from the ministry assuring that if the programmed implemented it will alleviate poverty in the state.

Batulu further explained that the Federal University Center in FUD Jigawa State is one of the best centres among the eight new universities established in 2011. The university commenced its academic operations with three faculties such as agric, art as well as faculty of social sciences.

The University for now has grown to seven faculties with additional four faculties of management which include science, computing, basic medical sciences and clinical sciences.

According to Professor Batulu the centre which was commissioned was first conceived by the association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigeria, ADAN, and wholly adopted and also developed by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, FRMRD, as the key activity in the implementation of the FGN Agricultural promotion policy, APP, across the country.

She assured that the centre would be relevant and it will be greatly organized, hence the minster will never regret citing it in the state. She therefore invited the Jigawa State government to fully exploit the opportunity the center has to offer for its various agricultural development efforts to promote production and export, especially in training and commercialization of farming activities in the state.

She advised the minister to provide some equipment which are critically needed for the centre to be effective and achieve its objectives, especially in incubating new enterprises on teaching and research.

She therefore appealed to the federal government to assist in facilitating the centre and also to provide mobility for the staff because the provision of a Hilux van has been made in the contract but it is yet to be delivered.

Similarly, rice milling accessories like de-stoners and enhance drying capacity for parboiling and polishing are also included to complete the milling.

Batulu lastly appealed to the minister to assist the university with provision of access roads to the incubation centre because at the moment there were no access roads to the centre.

Pro Batulu then explained further that their main challenge in the university is flooding but they are actually lucky to have received the ecological fund intervention of N1.4 billion naira project which tremendously helped the university to address the problem but still there are some areas that have problems.

The minister assured the management of the university to address the problem, saying that the federal government will assist the university gets over its problem and assured for federal government support.