The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, will revive its farm and leverage breakthroughs from its Agriculture and Veterinary Complex.
This is with the view to enhancing its internally generated revenue (IGR) and strengthening research and development.
The Vice-Chancellor of university, Prof. Adamu Ahmed, disclosed this during the 2025 Annual Field Day of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), in Zaria on Friday.
Ahmed, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Advancement, Research and Innovation), Prof. Sanusi Rafindadi, said the initiative aimed to boost revenue generation and contribute to national food security.
“The university has appealed to the Federal Government to restart the university farm, which will be a game changer in bridging funding gaps and improving revenue generation,” he said.
Ahmed said ABU would deploy its scientific breakthroughs from the agriculture and veterinary complex to drive the initiative, thereby enhancing research, improving IGR, and promoting food sustainability.
The vice-chancellor decried that inadequate and irregular government funding had remained a major challenge to universities, adding that the initiative would complement government efforts.
He commended the institute for its innovation and progress in developing mandate crops.
In his remarks, Executive Director of IAR, Prof. Ado Yusuf, represented by Prof. Nafiu Abdu, said the annual field day allowed scientists to showcase research efforts targeted at addressing food insecurity in Nigeria.
He said the institute had recorded significant progress with Artemisia annua, a plant used by pharmaceutical companies for producing anti-malarial and other drugs.
“We are planning to collaborate with some pharmaceutical companies on the uptake of research outcomes on Artemisia,” he said.
Yusuf said IAR was partnering with the Sunflower Association of Nigeria to commercialize research outputs on sunflowers.
He said scientists on farming systems research had demonstrated methods for improving soil fertility, crop yield, and climate resilience.
He said in spite of a 38-day rainfall cessation in June and July, some of the IAR’s newly developed seed varieties withstood the dry spell and still produced large cobs with good yield.
