Transformative ideas locked up in archives – Bishop Oyedepo

Bishop David Oyedepo, Chancellor, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara, says a lot of ideas that can change the economic fortunes of Nigeria are locked up in archives.

Oyedepo spoke at the University in Omu Aran on Wednesday, while attending the 4th Inaugural Lecture of the institution, delivered by Prof. Olasunkanmi Bamiro.

“We have deep insights and we sleep with these insights. We need to work.

“A lot of ideas that could have changed the economic fortunes of this nation are locked up in archives.

“Papers have left us where we are. We should stop counting papers and start counting products,’’ Oyedepo said.

He called for implementation of the numerous initiatives as well as the laudable development plans to better the lot of the citizenry.

Oyedepo said that the country was blessed with abundant talents and potential to attain the desired developed economic status, if well harnessed.

“We do not have problem with capacity, our problem has always been capacity utilisation,’’ he said.

The chancellor said that Landmark University was committed to ensuring full implementation of recommendations that had emanated from its inaugural lectures.

Oyedepo advised the nation’s universities to align with the same practice and ideology in evolving a workable national development plan for the country.

“This is the only way out of the present continental indignity,’’ he said.

At the event, Bamiro, of the College of Agricultural Sciences delivered a lecture titled: “Roadmap to Canaan: Production Efficiency and Integration in Agribusiness’’.

Bamiro, a professor of Production Economics, said the country’s desire for food security could only be attained by putting more effort toward increasing yields of varieties of food crops.

According to him, this is achievable through efficiency in agricultural production and adoption of vertical integration in all agribusiness enterprises.

“Apart from food security that will be attained, vertical integration will solve the herdsmen and farmers’ clashes and mitigate against risks, ‘’ he said.

Bamiro said for Nigeria to arrive the land of Canaan, four dimensions of food security — affordability, access, stability and health — must be realised.

He noted that the nation’s neglect of agriculture for the oil boom of the 70s and early 80s had brought a new paradigm into the nation’s economy.