By Andy Asemota
In a bid to reverse the trend and develop the under-performing oil palm production in the country, plans are underway in the Red Chamber for the establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture, Araromi Obu, Ondo State, to be sited in about 10,000 hectares of land allocated to 68 years old Ayesan/Araromi Oil Palm.
The Senate representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, who made this known during his lead debate on the establishment of the varsity, explained that it would become the fountain of agriculture research in rubber and oil palm in Nigeria.
The lawmaker expressed confidence that the institution would become a catalyst for effective agriculture system through training, research, and information for effective agricultural utilization and concentration of the country’s agricultural resources.
According to him, “Malaysia obtained oil palm technology from western Nigeria in the 1950s and as at today Malaysia is the largest producer of oil in the world which is unfortunate because of our negligence in oil palm production and development, and ass at today we far behind world production of Oil palm.”
Giving a brief background of Araromi/Ayesan Oil palm, Senator Tofowomo noted that the plantation was established in 1952 by the government of Western Region headed by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
“Presently, Nigeria is number 12 producer in the world and there are eight locations of rubber plantation in Nigeria. They are in Edo, Delta, Ogun and Ondo States working as a team. All the latex produced in other locations are brought to the Rubber estate in Araromi Obu for processing into raw rubber that undergoes formal processing into plastics, tyres and other gadgets
“Araromi / Ayesan Oil started production in 1953 under Western Nigeria Development Company (WNDC) and later Western State Agricultural and Industrial Investment Corporation (WSAIIC) and managed presently by Ondo State Investment Holding Company Limited,” he stated.
The Ondo East lawmaker said the two major agricultural development institutions are functioning very well without federal government intervention but the establishment of a federal university would integrate federal government with both agricultural institutes and would be jointly developed the ivory tower while calling on the Senate to support the purposed university because of the established agricultural institutions that would play a big role from its inception.
