By Elizabeth ADENUGA
Oriental Energy Resources Ltd., an oil company, is to establish 10, 000 hectares of commercial farm on the campus of University of Ilorin.
Towards this, Alhaji Muhammadu Indimi, the Executive Chairman of the company has sent a delegation to the university to explore this possibility.
The university disclosed this on Monday in its Bulletin.
It said that the delegation was led by the son of the multi-billionaire oil magnate, Alhaji Ibrahim Indimi.
The university said that the issue was discussed at a technical meeting of the delegation with a team of the university’s management led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mikhail Buhari.
It said that Indimi assured it of the resolve of the company to establish a large-scale commercial farm on its campus which “will be a model agricultural master-piece and a mutually-rewarding enterprise for the university and our company”.
The university quoted Indimi as saying that “the 10,000-hectare farm, which will be sited on the university campus, will be a community-focused, mechanised farm that will prioritise the university’s host community”.
Indimi commended the ingenuity of the university in proposing the initiative.
“He added that if similar situation is obtainable in other institutions in the country, Nigeria would have been much better, developed and safer for all citizens to live in,” it said.
The university said that Indimi expressed his delight at “the amazing topography” of the university’s landscape and the peaceful nature of the institution.
According to the university, the oil magnate explained that the proposed investment would also provide social amenities for the host community and job opportunities for willing graduates of the university and members of the host community.
Prof. Buhari, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, was quoted as expressing the commitment of the university’s management to ensuring the success and profitability of the venture to the two partners.
“The deputy vice-chancellor said that the university is ready and willing to make 10,000 out of its 15,000 hectares of land available to Oriental Energy Ltd.
“He observed that this venture would benefit a lot from the agricultural enterprise.
“Prof. Buhari assured the company that the university would ensure that everything expected of it is provided for the smooth take-off the farm,” it said.
Prof. Gbadebo Olaoye, the Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, assured the investors of the readiness and competence of relevant units and professionals in the services of the university to offer qualitative feasibility services to the company.
