CBU Lecture: Audu Ogbeh To Address Use Of Technology In Agriculture

Yemisi Izuora

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has accepted to speak at the 19th annual lecture series of the Catholic Brothers United, CBU, scheduled to take place on Sunday, August 26, 2018, at the McGovern Hall, St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland.
The Minister will be speaking on the theme, “Technology & Agricultural Revolution”: A Tool for Economic Growth.

President   of   the   CBU,  Emmanuel   Okoro,   in   a  statement   announcing  the   Minister’s confirmation to be the guest speaker at the forum, said the choice of the theme is apt, because the federal government has given priority attention towards revamping the near moribund agriculture industry.
Okoro,   noted   that  Technology   and  Mechanisation   are   key  factors   that   are   germane  to achieving the objective of using agriculture as major plank to transforming the economy.

The topic remains one of the best options today because technology has played a big role in developing   the  agricultural   industry   in  developed   countries   and  today   with   the   right application of technology; it is  possible  to grow  crops in a  desert  by use of agricultural biotechnology.  With   this   technology,  plants   have   been  engineered   to   survive   in  drought conditions, and through genetic engineering, scientists have managed to introduce traits into existing genes with a goal of making crops resistant to droughts and pests, a condition that abounds in Nigeria.

He also noted that with the use of mobile apps, a farmer can calculate the amount of grass available in the field, and this saves the farmer time and money, adding that Technology has turned   farming   into   a  real   business,   and   now  farmers   have   electrified  every   process.   A consumer can place an order directly online, and the product will be transported from the farm to the consumer in time when it’s still fresh.  This saves the farmer money and cuts out mediators who tend to buy low from farmers and sell high to end consumers. 

Every farmer uses this technology in their own way. Some use it to create fertilizers, some use it to market their products, and others use it in production. So as a farmer, you have to specify what you need“, he said.
It is based on this transformation that the CBU, which is one of the pious societies in St. Agnes  Catholic   Church  Maryland,   Lagos,   chose  the   Honorable   Minister  to   discuss   how government is thinking of adopting technology through research processes to advance the agricultural sector.

He said, “We are an Association formed to carry out works of Evangelism and in the course of this task, we undertake a lot of religious and community development activities aimed at adding value to the Church and the society at large. Some of these activities include charity works, retreats, seminars and annual lectures amongst others.
And   one   of   the   Cardinal  programs   of   the  association   is   the  Annual   lecture,   a  program carefully articulated to address major national and international issues.

Thus in choosing a topic for each year, we look at the issues and problems prevalent in the society to guide the choice of a topic that properly addresses these issues. Also in our search for   an   eminent  personality   to   discuss  and   elucidate   on   the  topic,   we   usually  consider individuals with proven professional track records, as well as, the ability to proffer solutions to the issues identified, thus the choice of the agriculture minister to address the topic”, he added.

Speaking further, Okoro said, “In view of the Association’s concordance with the belief of the  church   in   teaching,  educating,   enlightening  and   informing   the  society   for   effective character formation and for nation building, we use the Annual Lecture to propagate the good news not only to parishioners but also to the society at large. We have therefore always given the  Annual   Lecture   the wide  national   coverage   it  deserves   through   print  and   electronic media”.
Also, he said,  that Mr. Tunji Owoeye, the managing  director  of the  Elephant Group has accepted to be the chairman of the occasion.
Okoro, said the choice of Owoeye stems from his background as a major player in the country’s agriculture sector, whose company has applied appropriate technology to advance rice production and processing in the country.