Ondo Speaker offers palliatives items to Widows

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB) indigenous chicken christened ‘FUNAAB Alpha, a major   breakthrough in animal breeding research and development, received certificate of registration on Tuesday from biotechnology body.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako who disclosed this at act ceremony marking the presentation of certificate of registration of FUNAAB Alpha by National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, NACGRAB.

The improved indigenous chicken is said to be of standard comparable to the internationally acclaimed exotic chicken Nigerians spent over $18 million to import annually.

The breakthrough is a product of 24 years research efforts of a team of scientists led by Professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Olufunmilayo Adebambo of the Animal breeding and Genetics department, FUNAAB.

Prof Salako said the presentation of certificate of registration was sequel to the registration of the breed last month having been found acceptable by rural and commercial producers

He explained that this major breakthrough would positively affect the common man on the street as well as the poultry market and food productions.

According to him, the giant stride by  the  university has placed on Nigerian poultry market a dual purpose breed of chicken that were  tested under rural households from September 2016 to December 2017 and found to be one of the breeds preferred for egg production under scavenging and semi-scavenging  conditions.

Salako appealed for support from Nigerians and federal government for the sustainability of this project saying the African Chicken Genetic Gain(ACGG) which sponsored the on-Station and on-Farm Testing of the breed, declared that the project must be supported for another 20 to 25 years to enhance its viability and success.

The Vice-Chancellor lauded Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  as well as International Livestocks Research Institute, Ethiopia among others for funding the project and reiterated the commitment of the university to excellent research efforts and teaching that would further boost agriculture and food production in the country.

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Presenting the certificate of registration, the Chief Executive of National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, NACGRAB, Dr Aladele Sunday hailed  the university and its team of researchers for the feat achieved,  saying the achievement has further confirmed that with adequate support and encouragement, the nation’s ivory towers could always be centres of excellence.

Dr Aladele revealed that the regulatory body did not just register the improved indigenous breed based on what was written on papers but due to what had been seen and heard from farmers in  Port Harcourt, Sokoto, lmo, Kwara among other states where the chicken breed had been embraced and were found to be of good quality.

In her remarks, the lead researcher, Prof Olufunmilayo Adebambo disclosed that the improved indigenous breed was a product of challenge thrown at her by the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Olorunmbe Adedipe 24 years ago who urged her to work for an acceptable and improved local breed for the country.

Mrs  Adebambo explained that the breed has capacity to produce as much as 300 eggs per year just like the exotic chicken Nigerians spent millions of dollars to import.

She added the major challenge hampering research in the country was funding, and  appealed to the federal government and other Nigerians to make more resources available for research.

Prof Adebambo also lamented the dearth of animal research institute in the country saying that there was need to establish an indigenous poultry breeding centre for further development of this critical sector of the agriculture.

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