Nigeria: Yandev College to Get Degree Awarding Status - Ortom

Abuja — The Benue State Government has concluded plans to upgrade the College of Agriculture, Yandev, to a degree awarding institution, to boost agricultural productivity in the state and the country at large.

Gov. Samuel Ortom made this known in Abuja when he paid a courtesy visit to Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Ortom said that the College of Agriculture located near Gboko, was established by the British Government in 1926 as a farm training centre, would be merged with the Benue State University.

The governor explained that his vision was to make the State the food basket of Africa, adding that the fusion of both institutions would make it a reality.

“For us to boost agricultural production in the country, our plan is to merge the College of Education, Yandev, with Benue State University, Makurdi.

“We dream to be the food basket of Africa and not just food basket of the nation and to achieve this, we intend to take the bull by the horn and the strategy is to catch them young.

“We are training and equipping our young ones to go into agriculture, looking at the value chain addition in agricultural products,” Ortom said.

The governor who stated that the creating job opportunities for young graduates was paramount on his agenda, expressed appreciation to the TETFund for its various intervention projects in tertiary institutions in the state, adding that such projects stood tall among others.

He assured that the fund would be judiciously utilized and appealed for more support.

TETFund’s Executive Secretary, Prof Suleiman Elias Bogoro thanked the governor for the visit and for acknowledging the positive contributions of TETFund toward promoting education in the state.

He assured that TETFund would continue to support education in the state, particularly in the area of agricultural development.

He said, “Thank you for making it clear that our projects are standing tall in the tertiary institutions. In whatever area you think we can support the development of agriculture in the state, let us know and we will not hesitate to invest money there.

“If Benue State University establishes a faculty of agriculture, we will be proud to put money there to ensure that the state thrives as the food basket of the nation,” he said.

He advised the state government to focus on the processing of agricultural products, noting that it would attract investors to the state.

The TETFund boss also used the occasion to appeal to the governor to find a lasting solution to the rivalry between the Tiv and Idoma tribes of the state, to attract development.