Ikorodu Division Human Resource Development Board (IDHRDB), under the auspices of Ikorodu Division Resource Development Group (IDRDG), last November organized its 16th memorial lecture of Professor Anthony Afolabi Adegbola, a Professor Emeritus in Agriculture, who died more than a decade ago.
That the Resource Group organized this lecture was no news but what is news was the attendance of who is who at the ceremony. Those who attended included politicians, intellectuals, captains of industries, community leaders, etc, who not only graced the occasion but equally donated handsomely.
The ceremony, which had Professor Michael O. Fagborode, a former vice chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (O.A.U) as the keynote speaker, saw him delivering a thought provoking and intelligent lecture on Agriculture chain value in Nigeria while Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Affairs was the Chairman.
The special guests of honour were Ambassadors, Oluseyi Onafowokan, a former High Commissioner in Ghana during President Jonathan’s regime and Alhaji Musliu Animashaun (aka Cubano), who supported him.
Prof. Adegbola was the first Chairman of the group and until his death, he contributed immensely to its growth and development, to the community and Nigeria as a whole. As a proud son of Ikorodu, he was one time elected President of Nigerian Science Academy.
The Chairman of the group, Oloye Monsuru Oye Sholebo described the late Professor as the epitome of excellence, good leadership and promoter of development. His achievements transcend both local and international levels.
The Chairman stated further that as an Agricultural Scientist, Professor Adegbola contributed to the development of Agriculture at different levels and had also chaired several committees and boards. According to him, he was a consultant to different organisations such as the FAO, UNESCO and World Bank.
While stating further, the Chairman said that the Group decided to immortalize the good works and inputs of the Professor to human capital, development and the community at large.
Because of his achievements, the group decided to construct an edifice tagged: Professor Anthony Adegbola Science Center Foundation. He, however, thanked the Governing Council of LASPOTECH for giving them a piece of land for the construction of the centre. He did not complete the speech without asking the guests for generous donations to build this centre.
The guests hearkened to the Chairman’s call and donated millions of Naira, a feat that has never happened since the group came into being.
However, by the time the guest lecturer, Prof. Michael Fagborode delivered his lecture titled: “An Exploration of the Agricultural Innovation Value Chain, there was no doubt that he was a guru in that Profession.
He, therefore, described the innovation value chain as the transition from how policy, which embraces national and global environments, shapes a country’s education and research management to generate knowledge and innovation, and how innovation update is managed by the National System of Innovation (NSI) to instigate the impact that grows and builds a nation sustainably.
He named three opportunities that could help accelerate exploitation of Africa’s innovation potentials to include, global advances in science, engineering, technology and innovation, creation and emergence of regional markets and the emergence of a new crop of entrepreneurial leaders dedicated to Africa’s economic improvements.
Professor Fagborode stated that partnerships between knowledge centres such as Research Institutes, universities and other tertiary institutions were crucial to encourage increased research and promote innovation, citing countries carrying out reforms in the national innovation system, Fagborode explained that to develop the Agricultural innovation value chain in the country’s agricultural sector, the experts have proposed a research – extension – farmer – inputs – linkage system (REFILS) to model the communication and extension of Research results to farmers and enhance the supply of farm inputs for better uptake.
Coupled with this is the adoption of such research outcomes with the implied feedback and interaction to improve system efficiency.
Fagborode explained that without appropriate policy to enable full coordination of the linkage/interaction among the principal components of the model, it would be impossible to achieve the desired result in those research and industry linkages.
Prof. Fagborode, however, berated the failure of successive governments in Nigeria to help in developing the innovation value chain in major areas of Agriculture and health, among others. He, however, commanded the World Bank for establishing twenty- two Research Centers known as African Centres of Excellence (ACEs) across various universities in West and Central Africa.
This was to serve as a catalyst for the innovation value chain in these regions and Africa as a whole. According to him, ten of these ACEs were already established in Nigerian universities.
While urging the Nigerian government to support these initiatives, he said that time has come for the people of South West to recommit themselves to the development of the region using a science technology innovation nexus that is rooted in their culture and identity.
While responding to question, he charged the development oriented groups to seize the opportunities presented to explore the untapped agricultural opportunities that abound in the division and partner with educational institutions and other big industries to boost income generation.
The trio of Rotimi Ogunleye, Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, S.O.B. Agunbiade and Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, urged Ikorodu sons and daughters both at home and abroad to partner with the state government and other relevant agencies to develop agricultural potentials of Ikorodu division.
Earlier in his short welcome address, the Chairman of IDRDG, Oloye Monsuru Solebo, explained that the annual memorial lecture was to immortalize the good works of Prof. Adegbola and to call the attention of others to have a sober reflection on what people would say about them after departing this world. He described IDRDG as a self-financing, non-governmental organization (NGO) involved in different projects that would enhance overall development of youths and the people of Ikorodu Division. Solebo also appealed to the people to support the building of Professor Anthony Adegbola Science Center Foundation while expressing sincere gratitude of IDRDG to the Governing council of LASPOTECH for granting them a parcel of land for the proposed project.
In his address at the event, Prof. (Chief) Kunle Ade Wahab expressed gratitude to dignitaries who turned out massively, and to IDRDG, stating that the group is made up of over fifty indigenes of the division from all walks of life. He also highlighted various advancements and programs of IDRDG, including harnessing the resources of Ikorodu Division and developing its human and material resources, among others.
The event also featured a brief update of Prof. Adegbola Science Center Foundation by Engineer (Chief) R. O. Shoderu and a donation session for the construction of the centre as well as traditional dance performance by school children.
The climax of the event was the presentation of Award of Excellence to twenty four Ikorodu sons and daughters in recognition of their outstanding achievements in their respective professions, and contributions to the development of Ikorodu division.