Oyedepo cautions against food crisis, says everyone who knows how to eat should know how to farm
THE Chancellor of Landmark University, Bishop David Oyedepo has decried Nigeria’s worsening food crisis and urged Africans to engage in intensive agricultural endeavours for survival.
In his speech during the university’s 6th Convocation, he warned that if the threat was not addressed, hunger could wipe off a whole generation.
According to him, food security has been a major global concern as billions of people across Africa continue to experience hunger and malnutrition.
The chancellor therefore urged the institution to address the anomaly by prioritising agripreneurship and entrepreneurial studies, adding that the institution was very much committed to a new approach in leading an agrarian revolution by making everyone who eat to also know how to farm.
“The number one purpose for setting up Landmark University is to help young people to see the treasure hidden in the mother earth through agripreneurship and other incentives.
“Our university life-coach programme, compulsory for all final year undergraduate students are designed to provide pathways to a life of meaning, fulfilment and out-of-thisworld order of accomplishments,” he added.
Oyedepo also identified an urgent need to reform the continent’s education system to align with best global standards that seek solutions. He said that good and formidable formal education system must be a departure from knowledge to empowerment.
“It must be a departure from figure to future-building, a departure from points to facts, a departure from mathematics to life-matics and a departure from legalism to realism.’’
Ms Cecilia Akintomide, the convocation Keynotes Speaker and former Secretary-general of African Development Bank (AFDB) urged the graduands to be “very focused and research oriented’’ in her lecture titled, “You Only Get One Shot”.
“You have to stay focused, research-oriented and informed, you have to be bold, you have to be audacious and you must be ready to take wellcalculated risks.
“Have covenant with God in getting a different relationship, He will guide you and propel the rest of your life,” she said.
The Vice-chancellor, Prof. Adeniyi Olayanju, attributed the institution’s landmark achievements to massive spiritual support and continuous investment in ultra-modern facility development.
“We are unrelenting in advancing the frontiers of research activities that would, among others boost agricultural value chain.
“This, we hope will engender the much needed food sufficiency in our continent,” he said.
Oba Abdulraheem Adeoti, the Olomu of Omu-aran, praised the Chancellor, Dr Oyedepo, and the university’s management for putting the name of the community and Igbomina region in the global limelight. In this 6th Convocation tagged the Release of Pathfinders, Royal Set of 2019, Landmark University produced 51 1st class graduates for 2018/2019 sessions out of 432 graduating students, 182 female and 250 male. Interestingly, 4 female graduands out of 26 who dominated the first-class list emerged overall best from the four colleges of the University.