Goal 2: Zero hunger

Nigeria still faces significant hurdles towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal on zero hunger by 2030. Reports reveal that the country recorded one of the highest hunger levels globally in 2023, with a Global Hunger Index score of 28.3, 18% of the population severely undernourished, with 31.5% of children under five stunted. The situation is worsened by the insurgency in the northeast, coupled with banditry and farmer-herder conflicts in the northwest, southwest and northcentral, disrupting farming in the country. The agricultural system is dominated by the small-scale farmers who largely depend on crude implements due to poor access to improved farm inputs. These factors discourage the youth from seeing agriculture as a laudable profession.

The university, through the sustainable agriculture project of its Teaching and Research Farm, provides students and interested public with practical, hands-on experience in sustainable agricultural production and innovative farming practices. Annually, the university develops a farm, using permaculture principles and involving students in its management. In collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture, this unit also provides students and the public with service-learning experiences that prepare them for agricultural careers. These strategies have not only enhanced our students’ knowledge of sustainable agriculture but also immensely contributed to increased food production and improved nutrition.