University of Ilorin professor builds rice harvesters, locust bean processors

University of Ilorin professor builds rice harvesters, locust bean processors

- Joshua Olaoye, a lecturer and professor at University of Ilorin has built a rice harvester, locust bean processing, and other agricultural machines in his efforts to ensure large-scale food production in Nigeria

- Olaoye explains that agricultural mechanisation reduces drudgery and makes a nation to be food sufficient

- The professor says that in many developing countries, agricultural practices continued to be based on animal and human energy

Joshua Olaoye, a professor of the department of agricultural and biosystems engineering, at the University of Ilorin has built a rice harvester to enhance rice production in Nigeria.

Olaoye disclosed on Thursday, December 19, he designed other products such as locust bean processing, melon shelling, cowpea threshing and sugarcane juice extracting machines.

University of Ilorin professor builds rice harvesters, locust bean processors
Professor Joshua Olaoye teaches in the faculty of engineering and technology of the University of Ilorin, credits: Sun newspaper
Source: UGC

The lecturer who made the disclosure in his paper at the 187th Inaugural Lecture of the University of Ilorin on said this was done to ensure large-scale food production in Nigeria, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

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Olaoye’s paper was titled: “Gathering the Fragments…that nothing is wasted: Advancing Agricultural Mechanisation, Energy and Food Sovereignty Catena”.

The don who teaches in the Faculty of Engineering and Technology of the University explained that agricultural mechanisation reduces drudgery and makes a nation to be food sufficient.

He observed that in many developing countries, agricultural practices continued to be based on animal and human energy.

Insufficient mechanical and electrical energy is available for agriculture hence the potential gains in agricultural productivity through the deployment of modern energy services are not being realised,” Olaoye noted.

He explained that the locust bean processing machine would facilitate stages of crop processing, including decorticating, depulpiing, dehulling and crop drying.

Olaoye said the machine and the chains of processing activities have potentials to spring up cottage industry that could provide additional employment in Nigeria.

He stated that the invention would also prevent produce from being attacked by insects and rodents.

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Olaoye called for teaching and training of agricultural engineering across polytechnics and universities to provide approaches that would provide solutions to meet the needs of farmers in the country.

Meanwhile, the minister of special duties and intergovernmental affairs, Senator George Akume, on Thursday, November 28 in Lagos appraised policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The minister who spoke on the border closure by the Buhari's government, said most farmers in the country were currently smiling to the banks as a result of border closure.

He also stated that more enrolment have been recorded in schools due to free feeding for school pupils.

Akume made the statement at a press briefing after reading the communique for minister stakeholders retreat to develop strategic plan 2019-2023 for his ministry.

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