Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, has stepped up efforts to boost its internally generated revenue and deepen practical learning for students with the commencement of commercial cassava harvesting at its institutional farm.
The harvest, which took place on Thursday at the polytechnic’s commercial farm in Ilorin, marks a major step in the institution’s broader plan to blend academic training with agricultural enterprise while also contributing to food production.
Speaking during the exercise, the Rector of the institution, Engr. Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, said the move into commercial farming was a deliberate strategy aimed at reducing the school’s dependence on government allocations, creating an additional source of income and giving students direct exposure to modern agricultural practice.
He described agriculture as a critical sector with the potential to create jobs, improve food supply and support economic growth, adding that the institution was determined to take full advantage of the opportunities within the sector.
According to him, the cassava harvest is only the beginning of a larger agricultural drive by the polytechnic. He disclosed that the institution has already gone into large scale cultivation of cassava and maize, while also establishing cocoa and oil palm plantations as part of a long term expansion plan.
Mohammed said the tree crop projects were designed as enduring investments that would continue to benefit the institution for years to come, well beyond the tenure of the current administration. He noted that 1,000 cocoa seedlings and another 1,000 oil palm seedlings had already been planted under the programme.
The rector further revealed that the Department of Food Science and Technology has been assigned the responsibility of processing farm produce into finished products in order to increase value addition and strengthen the institution’s revenue base.
He said the long term goal is to build a distinct institutional brand around products such as cassava chips, palm oil and cocoa based items, adding that the initiative would not only create fresh income streams for the school but also improve students’ practical knowledge and entrepreneurial skills.
Mohammed explained that proceeds from the cassava harvest would be channelled back into the farming project to support its sustainability and future expansion. He stressed that agricultural investment requires patience because of the heavy start up costs involved, especially in areas such as land clearing and farm development.
While acknowledging that immediate profit may not come within the first farming cycle, he expressed confidence that the project would eventually break even and become a profitable venture for the institution.
He also praised the Kwara State Government for supporting the initiative with agricultural equipment, saying the intervention had helped to lower production costs and improve operations on the farm.
The rector added that students are already actively involved in the farming activities as part of their practical training, describing the project as a useful blend of classroom learning, research and entrepreneurship that could position Kwara State Polytechnic as a model for agricultural innovation among tertiary institutions.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairperson of the Kwara State Polytechnic Commercial Farm and Chief Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Bio Environmental Engineering, Engr. Ruth Modupe Bayeri, described the maiden cassava harvest as a major achievement for the institution.
She commended the rector for backing the initiative from the outset and ensuring that the vision was brought to life. According to her, the successful harvest reflects the value of the institution’s investment in commercial agriculture and signals a promising future for the project.
Bayeri said the farm was established not only as a source of revenue for the institution but also as a platform for equipping students with practical agricultural knowledge while contributing to food security and sustainable development.
She expressed optimism that the success recorded from the cassava harvest would pave the way for the expansion of the institution’s agricultural activities and reinforce its commitment to innovation, skills development and commercial farming.
