NIMechE, Akwa Ibom Chapter Pledges To Support Gov Eno On Sustainable Food Production To Stem Looming Hunger Crisis In Akwa Ibom.
CHIGOZIE AMADI
The 37th International Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers has come to a close with a pledge by the institution to collaborate with the Akwa Ibom State governor, Pastor Umo Eno to produce enough food to feed the hungry population and even export.
The chairman of Akwa Ibom State chapter of Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Engr.John Uruah, who described the mechanical engineers as very important in the food value chain, said they are prepared to align with the “A” and “I” components of “ARISE” agenda policy of Pastor Umo Eno which represent agriculture and infrastructure, to make Akwa Ibom a hub for food production.
Also doubling as chairman of the local organizing committee (LOC) of the epoch making event, Engr. Uruah while fielding questions from newsmen after the closing formalities, listed many ways mechanical engineers could impact in sustainable food production, starting with fabrication of machines and other inputs to assist the local farmers on mechanized farming.
Describing the event as top notch considering the large attendance of dignitaries within and outside Nigeria compared with attendance at the two previous conferences, he assured that recommendations arrived at in form of communique from the conference would be made available to government for implementation, and should they refuse to listen to our recommendations we will continue to advocate for them to see the need to do so.
“In this conference we brainstormed on a topical issue which affects us currently which is food production. After brainstorming and discussing on the issue we are going to make a recommendation to the government”
“It is an advocacy to make government know that there is a solution to this problem. It is our duty to make government look in this direction, to let them to know that the right policy and the will to implement these policies could take us out of the quagmire”, he explained.
Furthermore, he said the duty of mechanical engineers in farming is to add value to farmers on farm produce, adding that mechanical engineers produce the innovative machines that add value to food production processes.
During the opening session, Engr. Margaret Aina Oguntala FNSE, President, Nigerian Society of Engineers who chaired the occasion in proxy, commended Akwa Ibom chapter of Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers on the choice of the theme of the 37th International Conference entitled, “Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Food Production and Managing Climate Change ” which has keyed into the theme of the forth coming national conference of NSE, “Sustainable Engineering Solutions To Food Security and Climate Change.”
She described Climate Change as the worst enemy to sustainable food production, noting that the only way to end hunger in Nigeria is to defeat this enemy by prioritizing the building of sustainable agricultural practices. She therefore called on relevant stakeholders to emulate the NIMechE, Akwa Ibom State chapter.
“I call on the professional organizations, government agencies and other stakeholders to prioritize discourses and actions on food security”
“We must raise awareness of how crucial it is to safeguard our nation’s food production by adopting sustainable agricultural practices.”
