The Chairman of the task team on Edo State College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Edo Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., has said work is progressing at the College, noting that ongoing reforms in the agriculture sector are aimed at repositioning the state to become the hub for agribusiness in the country.
The Head of Service reaffirmed during an inspection tour that the institution’s School of Agricultural Technology and Engineering, Iguoriakhi, which is one of the campuses of the institution, has been repositioned and restructured by the government to be the best in class and would meet the demands of the 21st Century.
He assured that the government has put every needed machinery in place to ensure the smooth takeoff of the institution.
“We are working very hard to make sure we execute the directive of the Governor to make sure the school resumes by the first semester this year and a lot of work is going on behind the scene in addition to the physical structures you see and the work currently going on here,” Okungbowa explained.
He said the uniqueness of the institution is that it’s the best in class in terms of equipment, aesthetics, structure, and all other infrastructure.
“We will also be having both the government and private sector because the Council of the institution is going to be made up of stakeholders, all of those who have something to do with the agricultural development of the state.
“We have the administrative block, academic blocks 1 and 2, library, 250- and 1,000-capacity lecture theatres, the clinic, female hostel, and male hostel, as well as the teaching and research farm,” he said.
Okungbowa said landscaping had begun and that a lot of work was being done on that “and in the next few weeks, you’ll find the aesthetics of the landscape of this place become very obvious”.
“Mr. Governor has charged us with the responsibility of creating this. He has given us the enablement, put in a lot of money and attention into this and what you’re seeing here is a reflection of his kind of attitude in terms of leadership and governance,” he said.
