Deep Thought

 Food Security in Africa: Is Genetically Modified Technology a Pathway? III By Prof. MK Othman The second part of this article was published on 8th March 2023 and then two key political issues crossed my mind, which made me discontinue this article. My esteemed readers, please, pardon my break and now, I am back to continue on the subject. Recall, the last line of part II of this article ended with two pertinent questions. Can Africa afford GMT? What is the viable strategy for Africa to benefit from cutting–edge technology? On the cost of research and development of the GMT for a particular crop, GMO, average, GMO takes 13 years and $130 million of research and development before coming to market (https://gmoanswers.com/ask/). From another piece of literature, “GMO Answers”, the cost of generating a new genetically modified crop is $136 million with an average of seven years duration. This is why in developed countries; the private sector is the major driving force for research inv...

 Sitting on a Goldmine: Katsina State Gargantuan Agricultural Potential and Matters Arising By Prof. M. K. Othman Katsina State is the home state to two illustrious sons democratically elected presidents, the former President, the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua of blessed memory, and President Muhammadu Buhari whose two  4-year consecutive tenures winds up on May 29th. Katsina state dubbed as the home of hospitality covers a total land area of 23,938 sq. km and is ranked 7th in total land mass and 6th in population size-. Of the total land resource, 1.6 million hectares of land is under intensive cultivation, while the forest reserve is now mostly bandits' den. The famous Rugu forest was the envy of all due to its rich array of fauna and flora now a dread that only men of the underworld occupy from where they unleash their mayhem on the peace-loving, hapless, and agrarian communities. The other forest, kogo in Faskari LGA, which was recently converted into National Park has been a v...

 Re: President-elect, Tinubu: Rerouting Nigeria’s Pathway to Glory By Prof MK Othman The above title is the most topical issue of recent times. Nigeria is at a crossroads and every Nigerian is eager to have our marching towards a glorious future where we shall all be happy and proud to be. Nobody is contesting the desires of Nigerians to have a vibrant nation converting its huge potential resources into tangible assets for the benefit and goodness of Nigerians and other Africans.  The 3-piece article on the President-elect attracted verities of views from my esteemed readers, which are difficult to share. However, it is important to select a few of such views that critiqued my opinion to give the readers a wider view. Today, I am presenting some edited views on this all-important topic. Happy reading. Prof, this is an interesting article on how to revamp education by the incoming President. My question is what can we do to ensure that graduates of our universities are fully ba...