Olawunmi Ajibike
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), hosted a specialised workshop aimed at enhancing cattle production in Nigeria through the adoption of robotic ranching systems and intelligent feeding technologies.
The event, sponsored by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) under its National Research Fund (NRF), took place at the Centre of Excellence in Agricultural Development and Sustainable Environment (CEADESE) Conference Room, drawing researchers and key stakeholders from within the university.
In her welcome address, the Principal Investigator, Prof. Olufunke Vincent, described the workshop as a timely intervention to tackle pressing challenges in Nigeria’s livestock sector. She identified issues such as inefficient feeding systems, poor livestock monitoring, labour shortages, climate change impacts, rising production costs, and conflicts linked to open grazing.
Prof. Vincent stressed that emerging technologies—including robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and data analytics—are shaping the future of agriculture by providing innovative and sustainable solutions for livestock management.
Delivering a lecture titled “Robotic Ranching System: An Intelligent Feeding Mechanism for Enhanced Cattle Production in Nigeria,” Prof. Bamidele Oluwatosin highlighted the transformative potential of modern livestock practices. She noted that ranching, feedlot systems, and zero grazing are increasingly becoming viable alternatives in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
She also applauded FUNAAB’s dedication to research and innovation, while pointing out the need to address infrastructural gaps in some institutions to fully harness these technologies.
In his remarks, the Director of the Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR), Prof. Kazeem Bello, emphasised the importance of adopting modern tools such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to improve livestock tracking and help curb farmer-herder conflicts.
Participants at the workshop commended the initiative and called for stronger interdisciplinary collaboration to accelerate innovation and promote sustainable agricultural development across the country.