SUBEB Tasks Schools Heads On School Farm Programme To Check Hunger

UYO
The management of public primary and junior secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State under the purview of basic education have been charged to take advantage of the education training programme of the State Universal Basic Education Board to encourage school children to develop interest in farming as an antidote against hunger and poverty.
The executive chairman, Dr Anietie Etuk, who gave the charge during the 2024 Agriculture Education Training programme/ School Farm Exhibition and Award Ceremony at Saint Patrick’s Primary School, Uyo, charged the management of public primary and junior secondary schools in Akwa Ibom to take advantage of the agriculture education training programme(AE) of the board to set up school farms.
Represented by the board member in charge of planning, research and statistics, Elder Godwin Enoidem, the chairman said that the state has the potential to become the food basket of Nigeria if resources were adequately explored.
At the training organised in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Etuk thanked the governor, Pastor Umo Eno, for supporting the board to deliver its core mandate and urged participants to apply the knowledge gained at the training and contribute to the development of the agricultural sector in the state.
In a remark, the commissioner for education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet, represented by a staff member of the ministry, Mrs Ememobong Uba, lauded the board, for partnering UBEC, to re-introduce the training in the state, saying that the initiative aligned with Umo Eno’s commitment to revamp the agricultural sector.
The South South zonal director of UBEC, represented by Mrs Enomfon Usen, charged the participants to invest in agriculture to boost food sufficiency in the state.
The permanent secretary of the board, Dr Roseline Mfon, represented by Mrs Uduak Koko Bassey, lauded SUBEB for its commitment towards making farming an attractive venture for the youths and noted that the training would helped in inculcating practical agricultural skills on the school children and this according to her, was evident in the exhibition of assorted farm produce from school farms across the 31 local government areas of the state.
Also speaking, the desk officer, SUBEB, Mrs Ubong Udoh, explained that the event was a platform to fulfil the objective of SUBEB Agriculture Education training programme which anchored on stimulating and sustaining learners’ interest in agriculture.
School children spiced up the atmosphere with various cultural displays at the event.
The programme witnessed the presentation of awards of excellence to schools that excelled in different aspects of farming such as fish farming, rice, poultry, piggery and mixed cropping, among others.
The ceremony was rounded off with the inspection of assorted farm produce cultivated in the school farms by the chairman, alongside board members, permanent secretary, directors, education secretaries, school heads and others.