VC Urges Farmers to Return, Dispels Insecurity Concerns

Vice-Chancellor of Taraba State University, Sunday Bako, has called on Nigerian farmers not to let insecurity deter them from returning to their farms, assuring that better days lie ahead for the agricultural sector.

Speaking Wednesday at the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan during its 2025 In-House Research Review, Bako encouraged farmers to seize the opportunity of the rainy season to boost food production for the nation’s growing population.

“This is just a passing phase. Nigerian farmers will smile again,” Bako said, expressing optimism over the Federal Government’s policy push toward food security, farmer welfare, and production expansion.

Earlier, CRIN’s Executive Director, Patrick Adebola, underscored the importance of engaging farmers in shaping research priorities. “Research must be guided by those it serves,” he said, lamenting that a lack of funding and insufficient access to seedlings remain key barriers to success.

Adebola emphasized that economic crops such as cocoa, cashew, kola, coffee, and tea hold transformative potential amid Nigeria’s transition away from oil dependence.

In his keynote speech, National President of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria, Adeola Adegoke, reinforced this message, describing the nation’s major crops not only as economic drivers but also as tools for climate resilience and social equity.

“These crops regenerate soils, enhance biodiversity, and offer long-term carbon sequestration,” Adegoke noted, calling the push to upscale cocoa production from 300,000 to 500,000 metric tonnes by 2027 a strategic national goal.

He lauded the creation of the National Cocoa Management Board, recently approved by President Bola Tinubu, as a pivotal step toward building a sustainably regulated cocoa industry focused on development, not trade.

“The time has come to transform agriculture into a pillar of green growth and national pride,” Adegoke concluded.