FUNAAB Commissions State-of-the-Art Postharvest Hub to Boost Agricultural Research
In a major step towards advancing agricultural research, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) on April 2nd, 2025, officially commissioned its Agricultural Research Outreach Centre (AROC) Postharvest Hub. The cutting-edge facility, provided by the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), is part of the Institute’s 2024 capital project aimed at improving postharvest management in Nigeria.
The commissioning event saw a distinguished turnout of academic leaders, including FUNAAB’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Bamidele Olusola Kehinde, alongside key figures such as Professor Folake Henshaw, pioneer Dean of the College of Food Science and Human Ecology who is also a member of the governing council representative of the senate, and NSPRI’s Executive Director, Professor Lateef Oladimeji Sanni. Also present were various members of the university’s administration and NSPRI staff, all gathered to celebrate this milestone collaboration.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB, Professor Bamidele O. Kehinde emphasized the significance of the new hub, highlighting the strong collaboration between FUNAAB and NSPRI. He noted that while similar facilities were previously available to rural communities, the establishment of a postharvest hub within the university is a strategic move to enhance research opportunities for researchers and students. The VC also announced that a committee would be set up to oversee the effective operation of the facility.
In his address, the NSPRI Executive Director, Professor Lateef O. Sanni, expressed his pride in the institute’s evolution, from its early days managing postharvest issues across West Africa to its present role as a leader in postharvest research. He shared that this facility, one of three launched by NSPRI in Micheal Okpara University (MOU), University of Benin(UNIBEN) and Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), represents a broader vision to spread cutting-edge technologies, such as the Parabolic Shaped Solar Dryer (PSSD), inert atmosphere silos, smoking kilns, and hermetic drums across universities. These technologies aim to revolutionize agricultural processing, and preserving produce like grains, fish, and even kilishi for longer periods.
Further underscoring the importance of the hub, Professor Adebukola Ovim, Dean of the College of Food Science and Human Ecology, commended NSPRI for its continued dedication to innovation. She stressed that the postharvest hub would be an invaluable resource not only for academic research but also for local farmers, processors and industry stakeholders looking to reduce postharvest losses and enhance the shelf life of agricultural products.
The AROC Postharvest Hub stands as a testament to the partnership between academic institutions and research organizations, paving the way for impactful solutions to Nigeria’s agricultural challenges. With the ongoing support of NSPRI and FUNAAB’s leadership, the hub is poised to become a cornerstone of agricultural innovation in Nigeria.
