The Bahamas Delegation Bids Farewell To FUNAAB

As the Bahamas delegation conclud­ed its week-long visit to the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), a strategic exit meeting was held on February 18, 2025, with the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Babatunde Kehinde, to solidify collaborations on agricultural heritage.

Led by His Excellency Dr. God­frey Eneas and accompanied by his wife, the delegation engaged in discussions with key FUNAAB of­ficials, including the Registrar, Dr. Titus Adeniyi; Prof. Akin Omotayo; Prof. Kazeem Bello and Dr. John Oyedepo. The dialogue centred on leveraging FUNAAB’s agricultural expertise to enhance rice produc­tion in the Bahamas, with a focus on food security and sustainable farming practices.

Dr. Eneas stressed the critical need to involve younger generations in agriculture, highlighting his son and granddaughter’s active roles in the rice initiative. He noted that this generational commitment would en­sure long-term sustainability for the project.

Reflecting on the historical con­text of agricultural heritage, Dr Eneas underscored how agricultural knowledge and crops, particularly rice, were transferred between Af­rica and the Americas during the transatlantic slave trade. He point­ed out that Nigerians historically played a pivotal role in rice farming in South Carolina, a legacy that could now benefit the Bahamas.

Currently reliant on rice imports from Thailand, the Bahamas faces food security challenges due to its dependence on foreign supply.

Dr Eneas stressed that while the country can cultivate rice, it lacks the technical expertise to optimise production and proposed that FU­NAAB experts visit the Bahamas to provide technical guidance and sup­port for the development of a robust rice farming industry.

In response, Prof. Kehinde af­firmed FUNAAB’s commitment to fostering international agricultural collaboration and expressed enthu­siasm for supporting the Bahamas in achieving self-sufficiency in rice production.

The meeting concluded with a mutual agreement to draft a Memo­randum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the partnership. The MoU would outline the next steps, includ­ing future visits and capacity-build­ing initiatives aimed at enhancing rice cultivation in the Bahamas.

This collaboration marks a sig­nificant step towards strengthening agricultural ties between Nigeria, the Bahamas, and the broader Carib­bean region, with agricultural her­itage serving as a bridge for shared knowledge and development.