At a time when Nigeria is in dire need of academicians, professionals and field expert to turnaround the present economic crisis, particularly in agriculture, food security and animal health, Dr. Adekoya Olatunde Owosibo stands as an embodiment of academic prowess, technical, professional and field expertise in the area of animal health and agriculture. This is evident in many of his feats in the news archives of many news organisations.
On Friday, August 21, 2020, the Federal Government of Nigeria appointed Dr. Adekoya Olatunde Owosibo as the Provost/Chief Executive Officer of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCA&PT), Moor Plantation, Ibadan, in Oyo State. Owosibo’s appointment was upon the premise that the government believes that agriculture is the way to diversify the economy and livestock and aquaculture play a significant role not only in food security, but also in meeting nutritional requirements, job creation and social security, which the college could boost. In other words, Owosibo’s appointment by the FG is to transform FCA&PT to the end of ensuring food security, employment, social security and boosting the nation’s economy.
Before he was appointed Provost, he served in key strategic and leadership capacities, including being a Head of Department, Director of different offices (including farm services), Heads of various units and, Chairman of many committees, in addition to being a Lecturer and Supervisor of various research projects. He is a visionary leader with proven track record of execution. A registered animal scientist, Dr. Owosibo displayed his versatility as a leader successfully heading the computer science department of the college for five years before he was appointed Provost.
Since his administration began and till date, Owosibo has ensured the becomes better in being the major hub of training agricultural personnel, fulfilling the major mandate of the college which is training middle-level manpower in the area of National Diploma and Higher National Diploma in the area of agriculture and related sciences. No doubt, graduates of FCAH&PT have been the major hub sustaining the agricultural industry as most of the big animal industries have the products as their major manpower. In the area of agriculture extension activities in Nigeria, FCAH&PT graduates are those found on the field relating to farmers and bringing information from farmers to the research institute.
Expanding the interests of agriculture to young ones, the college under Owosibo, invited about 75 secondary schools in Oyo State for quiz competition in agriculture as part of the activities for the pre-60th anniversary of the college. 54 of the schools that attended were taken round the college to be exposed to the knowledge of agriculture and agricultural equipments. By that, the institution aims to build an interest in the young minds towards preparing a better future for agriculture in Nigeria. Further, the institution engaged in health talk during International Women’s Day, alongside cervical cancer screening, and prostate cancer screening for men where about 500 people were treated in partnership with Zonta International and Plan Parenthood International. This move has certainly transformed the lives of the beneficiaries who will not stop singing the praises of the Owosibo-led administration of the college.
Within the premises of FCAH&PT, the current Provost is popularly called “bulldozer” for his undying determination to get things done even when they seem impossible. It’s indeed a bulldozing transformation for, a school of less than 45 staff to have developed into a college with over 600 staff, changing the nomenclature of the college academic staff from tutor to lectureship cadre; and that a school of two building structure has become a college of over 30 building structures. Beyond that, the college operates livestock farms such as poultry, cattle rearing, sheep, goat and rabbit among others, for students’ practical purposes; it also runs a veterinary clinic and diagnostic lab for analysing samples from sick animals. Moreso, the school prides of a functioning electro-ejaculator constructed by one of the technologists in the college, among other technology breakthroughs. It has acquired 25 acres of land in Oyo State, owning its own access road and gate house with adequate street lights and walk way. There are other facilities like egg and fish hatcheries, feed mill, breeder pen, smoking kiln among others.
At the recent 60th anniversary of the college, more of the landmark achievements of Owosibo were commissioned by the the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security in Nigeria, Honourable Abubakar Kyari represented by the Lagos Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mrs Olayinka Akeredolu. Some of the commissioned projects include, the College Administrative block, College Medical Center, New Staff Office Building, Diamond Jubilee Classroom Complex, and Farmhouse at Bakatari Entrepreneurship Center.
In the area of academics, the college under Owosibo has newly accredited programmes including, Agribusiness, HND Computer Science and Statistics, HND Biology/Microbiology, HND Physics/Electronics, HND Chemistry/Biochemistry, HND SLT/Environmental Biology Pasture and Range Management. These many achievements are flying the school high enough, with contributory effects to the agricultural sector in Nigeria, that will in no time, place the country at the global front.
With Masters in Agricultural Biochemistry and Nutrition and PhD in Animal Science with specialisation in Monogastric Animal Nutrition and Management, both from the University of Ibadan, Owosibo recently received the Academic Leadership Award at the 49th Annual Conference of the National Society for Animal Production (NSAP) in collaboration with the University of Ibadan (U.I) in recognition of his academic excellence in the field of animal science and agriculture. He is also a Fellow of Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) and Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS).
Strongly determined for global impact, Dr. Adekoya assures continuity in the college’s cutting-edge training to make sure “our graduates can compete with their counterparts nationally and internationally.”
“We also want to make sure that graduates that we will be producing in this school will be able to sustain the expected revolution in the area of agriculture especially now that food insecurity is here. The knowledge that these graduates will be going out with will help them to be able to advance and to be able to make sure that production does not suffer setbacks and also ensure that the issue of food security in Nigeria is well attended to and very soon, everything will be okay in terms of food production in Nigeria,” Owosibo said.
