A BSc (Bachelor of Science) in Agriculture is a degree worth considering as an undergraduate course of study in Nigeria. It usually takes about five years to complete its study in any Nigerian university. While studying agriculture in school, students complete a variety of courses to prepare them to work at a wide range of jobs such as organizations and fields. There are various specialties under the department of agriculture, such as horticulture, resource management, food production, agricultural administration, and many others to enable you to diversify and build a career of your choice. This article highlights the best universities offering sound and quality education in Agriculture.
Read on below:
Federal University of Technology, Minna
Federal University of Technology, Minna has a School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology which offers six agriculture departments, namely:
Agricultural Economics and Extension Technology, Animal Production, Crop Production, Food Science and Technology, Soil Science and Land Management and Water Resources, Aquaculture and Fisheries Technology. Upon completion of study in any of the courses above, a student is awarded a B.Tech (Bachelors of Technology). The institution aims to provide a conducive environment for both academic and technological training through high-quality teaching and research. The school has graduated students who are equipped with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills and can engage in all areas of agricultural production both in organizations, offices and as self-employed graduates. Alumni of Agriculture from FUTMINNA are employed in various capacities, solving problems and generating sustainable improvement in all aspects of agriculture.
Landmark University
The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Landmark University was one of the founding departments when Landmark University was established in 2011. It started as a unit under the Department of Engineering but in 2012, became a full-fledged department as Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering under the College of Science and Engineering. Landmark’s Department of Agricultural Engineering is the first of its kind in any private Nigerian University. The department teaches engineering solutions to many agricultural challenges in Nigeria and the world at large. Students are taught basic concepts to be applied in tackling issues in food production, harvesting, food engineering, soil and water conservation, renewable engineering, and bioprocesses. This is one of the best departments to pursue a degree as the field covers all areas of agriculture such as agricultural equipment, agricultural production, equipment design and handling, food processing, resources preservation, and environmental quality, waste conversion.
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ibadan
The University of Ibadan began operating a Faculty of Agriculture in 1949 when the University still awarded degrees of the University of London under a scheme. In 1963, the University started to award its own degrees as it received its own charter and became autonomous. The faculty which once began as four departments now offers twelve-degree options in the following fields:
Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension Services, Crop Science, Soil Science, Horticulture, Animal Science, Agricultural Biochemistry and Nutrition, Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, Crop Improvement, Forest Resources Management, Fisheries Management, and Wildlife Management.
A degree in Agriculture at the University of Ibadan runs for five years with a compulsory twelve months practical time. Each department in the faculty is equipped with facilities such as teaching and research laboratories, lecture rooms, administrative offices, and reading rooms to aid high-quality learning. The University has a Teaching and Research Farm, as well as a laboratory where all practical experiences involved in the course are taught, including crop cultivation and management, machine handling and maintenance, animal production and care, fish production and many other practical learnings.
Ahmadu Bello University
The Faculty of Agriculture at Ahmadu Bello University was established in October 1962 as one of the six founding faculties of the institutions. Initially, the Faculty functioned as a single unit but has now been sub-divided into various departments such as Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension & Rural Development, Agronomy, Animal Science, Crop Protection, Crop Science, Plant Science, Soil science. The institution aims to train its agricultural students to have the manpower and capacity to direct and implement programs to improve Nigeria’s agricultural sector. The faculty emphasizes both theoretical and practical knowledge in training its students for agricultural development. The faculty uses quality teaching, research, community services to train undergraduates so they can excel in the real world. The department of Agriculture at Ahmadu Bello University is under the Faculty of Engineering so that its graduates are qualified to be registered as engineers under Nigerian law.
Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
The Federal University of Agriculture at Abeokuta has a College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development which was established in 2009. The college aims to produce skilled manpower who engage in economic agricultural production. The College makes sure to adopt effective techniques of instruction while teaching in the classroom and to also expose students to the actual practice of agriculture. Students are exposed to classroom instruction, laboratory practicals, field demonstrations, and workshop practice. The departments under the School’s College of Agricultural Management are Agricultural administration, Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Agricultural Extension, and Rural Development. Over the years, the College of Agricultural Management at the Federal University of Technology, Abeokuta has been involved in various research activities that have provided innovative solutions to societal problems in the area of agriculture. This makes Ahmadu Bello University one of the most trusted institutions where you can study agriculture in Nigeria.
Department of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University
The Faculty of Agriculture at Obafemi Awolowo University is one of the five founding faculties with which the University started in 1962. The Faculty offers a unified 5-year degree program with a one-year compulsory Internship designed to expose the students to practical training. Departments under the Faculty of Agriculture are Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Extension & Rural Development, Animal Sciences, Crop Production & Protection, Soil Science and Land Resources Management.
All of these departments engage in high-quality training through teaching, research, field laboratory teaching, and other extension facilities in the OAU Teaching and Research (T&R) Farm. The courses in the various Departments are designed and well-tailored to meet the modern challenges of the times. Graduates are also encouraged towards entrepreneurship and to deliver their best in whatever discipline they find themselves.
You will notice that the best universities offering agriculture provide not only theoretical lessons but practical exposure for their students in various fields they can choose to specialize in.