New Learning Farm Launched in Nigeria’s Capital
ABUJA, NIGERIA – We are thrilled to announce the official opening of our new learning farm at the University of Abuja. The launch event for this milestone brought together more than 180 people on 6 November 2024, including Nigeria’s Second Lady, Nana Kashim Shettima.
An initiative of East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation (EWS-KT) in partnership with the university, the University of Abuja Vegetable Farming Learning Site is designed to equip smallholder farmers with cutting-edge skills in vegetable farming. Through this resource for practical training, farmers will learn advanced techniques and technologies that can significantly boost their crop yields and improve their livelihoods.
Like the learning farms at Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria and Sa’adatu Rimi University of Education in Kano, the University of Abuja Vegetable Farming Learning Site showcases improved agricultural practices and eco-efficient solutions appropriate for smallholder farmers. The ripple effect of institutionalizing these farming practices in institutions of higher learning is critical for modernizing agriculture in the country.
The learning farms are used for training sector professionals, university staff and students, agro-input dealers, and farmers on all stages of vegetable production. They also serve as research sites to advance horticultural knowledge and ensure that the advice provided to farmers is well suited for the local environment.
“East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation has embarked on a journey to empower the smallholder farmers of Nigeria,” Prof. Aisha Sani Maikudi, Acting Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, said in her welcome message.
Nana Kashim Shettima, the Second Lady of Nigeria, performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony and delivered the keynote address on behalf of the First Lady of Nigeria, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu. The First Lady’s remarks applauded the learning farm as “a bold step . . . to upgrade our farming systems and food security through sustainable agriculture” and called for more partnerships between universities and agricultural organizations.
“I commend the East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer Foundation for this wonderful partnership with the University of Abuja and I urge other players in the agro industry to collaborate more with universities and research institutes to deepen and transfer knowledge for the good of our people,” said the First Lady in her address.
Stuart Morris, Executive Director of EWS-KT, expressed the organization’s goals for the learning farm. “As well as being a venue for practical training and action research, we hope that this farm will act as a hub of inspiration to showcase the opportunities that vegetables bring to rural economic development and improved nutrition . . . and will play its role in positioning vegetable production as an attractive profession and business opportunity for the future of Nigeria’s young and ambitious farmers,” he said.
Various stakeholders gathered to celebrate this new vegetable farming resource, including representatives from East-West Seed, IFDC, Solidaridad, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Netherlands-African Business Council (NABC), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Foundation for Sustainable Smallholder Solutions (formerly Syngenta Foundation). EWS-KT strongly believes in partnering with other organizations for holistic support to smallholder farmers and for wider impact.
“By training young people and sector professionals in agriculture, this learning site is positioning agriculture in Nigeria for the future,” noted Foluso Adejoro, Policy Advisor on Food Security and Climate at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria.
Also addressing the crowd was Salasi Mohammed Idris, Program Director of HortiNigeria, an initiative that aims to contribute to the development of a sustainable and inclusive horticulture sector in the country and is implemented in several states. “As the biggest horticulture program [in Nigeria] today, we are proud to associate with the EWS-KT learning site,” he said.
Guided through the new learning farm, visitors saw firsthand the diversity of effective vegetable farming techniques on display, from seed germination chambers to post-harvest storage technologies. The impressive results gained through these methods speak to the significant value of vegetables for greater income and nutrition.
The University of Abuja Vegetable Farming Learning Site reflects a strong commitment by EWS-KT and the university to sustainable agriculture through practical learning and knowledge transfer, empowering farmers to adopt more effective vegetable production techniques for higher productivity and long-term food security in Nigeria.
