The chief executive officer of Silagreen International Agro Development Limited, Michael Olusegun Akinruli, has said that his firm has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Zebu Breeders Association (ABCZ), Brazil, to boost food security in Nigeria through improved dairy production, especially cattle.
He said the cooperation was facilitated by the company’s Brazilian partner, ZEBUEMBRYO Company. He added that the MOU is a strategic cooperation between Nigeria and Brazil, particularly regarding cultural and scientific education transfer.
Akinruli added that the arrangement would improve the skills of Nigerian graduates and undergraduates and involve specialisation courses. The beneficiaries will undergo structured courses that will sharpen their skills in cattle production and introduce them to new technologies and modern practices.
He stated that the technology transfer would be helpful to the newly created Ministry of Livestock Development.
Akinruli said, “We have done it in such a way that we’ve tailor-made the programme’s courses. The courses will be short ones, in categories of one-month, three-month, and six-month, offered by this university in Brazil. It is going to be provided in a hybrid format. Part of it will be online from Nigeria, and the students are now meant to come to Brazil to finalise the training. The university we are talking about is the University of Cattle in Brazil.
“In Brazil, there’s the University of Cattle, where everything they do there, all the courses they offer, all the programs, are all around cattle nutrition, cattle genetics improvement and livestock generally.”
He said the partnership will facilitate the exposure of Nigerian youth, farmers, and even academics to hands-on practical training.
He added that it is a university on a farm, one of the topmost in Brazil, and accredited by all the necessary agencies.
He said, “It’s a big one for Nigeria because it will facilitate technology transfer, capacity building, and specialisation, as well as accelerate beef and dairy production in Nigeria.
“Silagreen Agro is creating bridges and making things happen for our generation. We started with nutrition, and now we are talking about genetics. You may also wish to know that our company is the first ever to transfer embryos into our cattle in Nigeria.”
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