Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has approved the conversion of the state-owned Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, to a University of Agriculture and Agribusiness.
A statement on Wednesday by Ebenezer Adeniyan, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, said that Aiyedatiwa announced the conversion of the school to University of Agriculture and Agribusiness on his assumption of office after his inauguration on Monday.
The governor said that the school would be the model for the agric and food security revolution initiative of the state government.
He added that a committee would set up by the government to work out the modalities for the implementation of the conversion, while assuring that this would not have any negative effects on the current students and staff of the institution.
The immediate past administration of late Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, had proposed the upgrading of the polytechnic to a university of management science and technology.
The governor also signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the state government and a private investor on the injection of N15 billion into a youth-oriented agriculture initiative in the state.
The MoU was an agreement for the establishment and operation of the Young Ranchers Agricultural Cluster Development Programme between the government and AgroMall Discovery and Extension Limited.
The company will make use of five hectares of land in each of the three clusters in the state, using three higher institutions, including the newly upgraded RUGIPO, as host pilot beneficiaries.
The initiative will focus on practical farming for young people and practical training for students in agriculture and agric related operations.
Aside training of the students, each of the three institutions to be used as hosts and will benefit a percentage from the proceeds of the operations.
