The management of Landmark University, Omu-Aran in Kwara, on Monday said it had approved free tuition fees for all its agriculture-related programmes in the institution.
Adeniyi Olayanju, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, told newsmen in Omu-Aran that the approval would take effect from the 2018/2019 academic session.
Mr Olayanju said the approval was in respect of the tuition fees for the affected programmes, adding that the students were expected to pay other components of the school fees.
According to him, the affected agriculture programmes are: Crop Science, Animal Science, Agriculture Extension and Rural Development, Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness Management, Environmental and Natural Resources Economics.
The rest are: Aquaculture & Fisheries Management; Tourism and Recreation; Horticulture and Landscape Management and Agricultural Engineering.
Mr Olayanju said that the institution, in its magnanimity, also approved the payment of the said component school fees through a payer-friendly mode of two installments.
The vice-chancellor, while appreciating the institution’s Chancellor, Bishop David Oyedepo and the Board of Regent, said that the development was borne-out of a passion to achieve academic excellence.
Mr Olayanju said that the approval was also informed by the need to make agriculture-related courses very attractive to students in driving the institution’s agrarian revolution.
This, he said, was geared toward ending poverty, hunger, unemployment, thereby restoring the dignity of Africans.
“This development was borne-out of a passion for change from unsatisfactory status quo and uncomplimentary identity of Africa to unprecedented transformation of the black race.
“We, therefore, crave to see this change take place in our land and in our time.
“We are committed to making agriculture a more attractive and profitable venture,” he added.
The vice-chancellor blamed the drudgery (hard work) associated with agriculture practice as factor for the low involvement of youth in the sector.
He said that agricultural practice was still populated by the aged, especially women, adding “any profession that suffers dearth of apprentice is at the verge of extinction.
“It is our custom in the Landmark University context for all students to be agriculture-oriented, irrespective of their fields of study.
“All students must acquire additional skills and certificates upon graduation with a view to breaking new grounds in providing solutions to the world agricultural needs,” Mr Olayanju said.
NAN
