Kogi State has taken a major step in its partnership agreement with the government of Hunan Province, China, with the successful completion of a three-week agricultural training programme for lecturers under the Lecturers/Students Exchange Programme.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, while receiving the first batch of participants in Lokoja, said the programme marks the first visible dividends of the Kogi–Hunan partnership, which focuses on agriculture, mining, industrialisation and aims to deliver significant social and economic development across different sectors of the state’s economy.
He said the training held at Hunan Agricultural University, Furong District, Changsha City, focused on Heavy Metal Control and Prevention in Paddy Fields and was a direct outcome of his official visit to Hunan Province earlier this year under the mutual economic cooperation agreement with the People’s Republic of China.
“This initiative has equipped our lecturers with cutting-edge knowledge and innovative strategies to manage heavy metal contamination in rice cultivation, which is highly relevant to Kogi State’s agricultural landscape. It is the beginning of many more exchange programmes to be facilitated by the state government,” Governor Ododo stated.
He reaffirmed that his administration is committed to using the Kogi–Hunan partnership to unlock the state’s vast agricultural and mineral potential, attract agritech investment, foster industrial growth and support sustainable development.
In their separate remarks, Dr. Ajayi Joshua and Mr. Sadiq Fatihu of the Faculty of Agriculture, Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), said the training was an eye-opener.
Dr. Joshua said the programme broadened their understanding of sustainable agricultural practices and opened new research avenues and collaboration opportunities with Hunan Agricultural University.
Mr. Fatihu added that the training has given them the capacity to adapt new technologies to local needs, creating opportunities in agritech, sustainable farming and food safety while laying the groundwork for policy-driven improvements in agriculture and environmental management.
Both lecturers pledged to put the knowledge gained into practical use to improve food safety, public health, and make Kogi State a leader in sustainable agriculture.
The exchange programme is part of the China–Africa Economic and Trade Promotion (CAETP) and Sister-City collaboration agreement and is expected to lead to more research opportunities, agritech development and additional training programmes between Kogi State institutions and universities in Hunan Province.
