The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole, took time out on Friday, 24 May, 2013 to inspect projects aimed at improving teaching and learning in the University.

He stated that the monitoring visits were to ensure that on-going projects are being implemented and executed according to schedule and specification.

The Vice Chancellor was accompanied on the visit by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Arinola Sanya, Acting Registrar. Mr. Victor Adegoroye, Bursar represented by Mr. Akeem Adeagbo, University Librarian, Dr. Benedict Oladele, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Prof. Adeniyi Togun, Direcror of Audit, Mr. Babs Akinremi, Director of Physical Planning, Prof. Babatunde Agbola Director, University Advancement Centre, Mr. Adebowale Adeosun, and the Director of Public Communication, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo.

According to the VC “what we did today was to visit the Teaching and Research Farm to see ongoing works at the Farm: the crop section, oil-palm production unit, sweet corn project and the plantain plantation. Then we moved on to the poultry unit where we saw the turkey unit, piggery unit, rabbitry unit and when we left that place, we went to the Department of Aquaculture and the fish city. Actually, it was to be a fish farm but Professor S.S. Ajayi, the oldest specialist in aquaculture and fisheries in Nigeria said, “This is more than a farm.” In fact, we are building the largest fish farm in any public institution in Africa and we’ve invested close to N500m. We were challenged by the Oyo State Governor when he visited us after the flood of 2011 and he said “how are you interacting and making impacts positively on the society.” To me, that is a big challenge because what the Governor is saying is that we should move beyond just research. We should engage the society and the only way to engage the society is to train them, teach them. We are building a complex where we’ll be able to teach and train fishermen. We will sell quality fingerlings to them at cheap price and we’ll also process. Hopefully, we should be done in a couple of weeks, likely 2 weeks. We have started some production ahead of schedule.”

The VC further noted “our vision is to conduct research in fisheries. In fact, we currently have a plan for integrated farming to incorporate fish, piggery, poultry, and rice farming. Within the space of place to combine all of these: raise eggs, produce fish and our philosophy in UI: “Anywhere there’s water, there would be fish”. We started in 2011 but we were thoroughly beaten by the flood. We went back to the drawing board and embarked on channelization. So when next there’s any rain, it wouldn’t disturb us. It destroyed our fish ponds, our zoological garden but we are coming back better. We upgraded the Zoo and that destruction has led to this fisheries. We made the channelization our capital project but we’ve not been fully funded. We went out raising money. We’ve been able to raise N77m. We received support from an alumnus, an honorary degree holder, Pastor Enoch Adeboye. He’s interested in the zoological garden and I assured him that we’ll give him a Zoological garden that he’ll be proud of.”

The VC who was conducted round the farm by Farm functionaries said he was impressed with what he saw.