Bishop Charles Ighele is the President,
Sharon University of Agriculture and Rural
Development, in the pipeline by the Happy
Family African Foundation (HFAF).
Ighele, who just clocked 60, in this
interview, speaks of the plans to establish
the first ‘real’ university of agriculture that
will drive development in the rural areas,
thus formulating the catchword from
oil to soil.
You just clocked 60 years, and you are
coming up with a university of agriculture
and rural development. What is your driving
force?
Yes, what we are coming up with is Sharon
University of Agricultural and Rural
Development, established by the Happy
Family African Foundation, which I’m the
President. It is part of our efforts to lift up
the dignity of the African family. Our
catchword is from oil to soil. We have put
our strategies in place to make this
university not like the conventional
universities. The university will drive
development in the rural areas, whether in
the east, west, north or south. It’s about the
African which will drive development. At this
point we are going to show practically that
in two or three years,
somebody can become a millionaire through
farming. We have travelled and seen it, and
we have put our arts together. We are are
not going to admit too many students, and
we have put our strategies in place on how
their fees is going to be paid. When people
know that you can be a millionaire in two or
three years after studying agriculture in the
university, they will flock to the sector.
Nigeria will become a nation that will be
exporting foods, both primary and
processed.
Stage of establishment
The Federal Government regulation is our
major constraint. Again, we need over 250
acres of land to meet FG’s requirement. Now,
we have been able to purchase about 120
acres of land, almost half of that. The land is
some 20 minutes drive from the Redeemed
Camp. We have laid the foundation stone, so
we are still putting things in place to kick-
off. The NUC requirement is not a tea-party,
but this is what we are determined to do. I
believe that if anybody is a servant of God,
we should see how the whole thing comes
out of the four walls of the church.
Do you have any partnership with local or
international organizations?
We depend on support from the public to
establish this university. In terms of
technical support, we are in partnership
with one of the best international
institutions in Agriculture in the world. The
UN
Secretary Banki Moo, even recently went to
inspect the institution. Myself and my wife
have visited the institution, sometime ago.
We went there again with some of our
Pastors, about 16 of us. More recently, we
went there with four Senior Pastors to
finalize the technical aspect of the
partnership. Everything has been agreed
upon and that is hat gives us edge over any
institution of agriculture already in existence
in the country today.