AKURE – In a landmark development that bridges generations of agricultural training, the iconic but dilapidated Daily Arable Crops (EDU) building at the School of Agriculture, Akure, has been demolished and replaced with a state-of-the-art learning facility, a project spearheaded by a former student who rose to lead the institution.
The transformation was facilitated by Dr Samson Adeola Odedina, a former Provost of the college, who himself was first introduced to the EDU practical as a teenage student admitted in 1984.
The EDU practical has been a rite of passage for every student who has passed through the University of Ife, IAR&T, and the School of Agriculture, Akure since 1957. For decades, students would gather at 7 a.m., seated on bare rocks in front of the old 1969 building, for their initiation into the life of a farmer.
Dr Odedina’s unique journey with EDU is one of remarkable continuity. After his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), he was posted back to the college and, like his student days, was immediately assigned to EDU. He was retained immediately after his service, beginning work the second day after his passing-out parade, and his posting remained EDU.
His career blossomed within this framework, evolving from a youth corper to a Farm Manager responsible for the EDU unit. It was in this role that he began conceptualising reforms, with the encouragement of his superiors, to modernise the skill sessions to include ICT, mechanisation, and improved grading methods.
Dr Odedina’s path to leadership was unconventional. After serving as a Farm Manager, Lecturer, and consultant to various national and international agencies, he emerged as the Provost through a highly competitive process. He was the first to attain the position without having been a Head of Department or a Dean, having come “just from the farm.”
“I love the farm; I’ve never been part of core management or the academic board. In fact, the first management and academic board meeting I attended was the one I presided over as Provost,” Dr Odedina recounted.
Upon assuming office, he prioritised the complete overhaul of the EDU practical. Faced with funding challenges, he leveraged his international network, appealing to colleagues from past development projects who provided donations through relevant project interventions.
The old building has now given way to modern classrooms, offices, and multi-million Naira cassava processing facilities. Students now experience the Daily Arable Crops practical in a conducive environment, using state-of-the-art equipment to develop the right attitude towards modern agriculture.
The new facilities were officially commissioned by the Deji of Akure Kingdom and the Ondo State Government as a highlight of the college’s 60th-anniversary celebrations. Dr Odedina, who has since completed his term as Provost, expressed profound gratitude to all who supported the project, cementing his legacy as the student who returned to transform a foundational institution for future generations.
