By Hussaini Ibrahim Sulaiman
The Federal College of Agricultural Produce Technology, Kano, has recorded significant milestones in academic expansion, infrastructure development, and agro-based innovation under the leadership of its Provost, Dr. Muhammad Yusha’u Gwaràm.
The development was disclosed on Monday during a press briefing held at the college, where Dr. Gwaràm highlighted key achievements since his assumption of office in September 2020.
According to him, the institution had undergone transformational growth across several fronts, aimed at aligning with its mandate of strengthening Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
“We have made remarkable progress in expanding access to agricultural education through the mounting of new academic programmes and securing full accreditation for existing ones,” Dr. Gwaràm said. “This has opened doors for youths across all states of the federation, especially in areas of postharvest technology and agricultural entrepreneurship.”
He explained that the college had introduced new HND programmes in Crop Production Technology, Food Science and Technology, Agricultural Business, Statistics, Animal Production Technology, Software and Web Development, and Networking and Cloud Computing. At the National Diploma level, Nutrition and Dietetics as well as Cooperative Economics and Management were added.
On infrastructure, Dr. Gwaràm noted, “We have renovated classrooms, hostels, student toilets, and powered key facilities with solar energy to ensure uninterrupted operations.” He added that a 33KVA transformer was acquired through internally generated revenue, while laboratories and workshops have been fully equipped for effective practical training.
Highlighting the college’s entrepreneurial drive, he said, “In line with the ARCN Act, 2021, we established a spin-off company which has developed and registered value-added products such as FCAPT Tomato Paste, FCAPT Tomapep, FCAPT Quick Meal, and FCAPT Kunun Tsamiya. These are now in the testing phase and will soon be available nationwide.”
Dr. Gwaràm stated that the college installed advanced food processing machines at its Barkum permanent site to support product development, including fluidized bed dryers and automated granule and powder packaging machines. “These machines enhance our capacity to produce, store, and preserve agricultural products efficiently,” he said.
The Provost further disclosed that FCAPT participated in major agricultural shows and expos in Nasarawa, Plateau, Lagos, Abuja, and other locations between 2023 and 2025. “Our participation in these fora has enhanced staff exposure, promoted our processed products, and positioned FCAPT as a key institution in Nigeria’s food and agricultural development sector,” he said.
On capacity-building, Dr. Gwaràm revealed that about 1,409 youths and rural women across all six geopolitical zones were trained in modern agricultural practices. “This is part of our nationwide outreach beyond classroom teaching. The North-West zone alone recorded 515 beneficiaries,” he added.
He also listed the college’s growing network of partnerships with key stakeholders including GIZ, Indorama Fertilizer, UNESCO, the International Potato Centre, Self Help Africa, and others. “We’re currently hosting a UNESCO programme and working with the Federal Ministry of Finance to secure more support for international partnerships,” he said.
Other notable strides include the acquisition of two greenhouse facilities, renovation of the college’s meteorological station, and special training for the Kano State Agro-Pastoral Development Project (KSADP) in meat and milk hygiene, artificial insemination, and veterinary laboratory operations.
Speaking on staff welfare, Dr. Gwaràm said, “In the last five years, 13 of our staff have earned PhDs and 33 have obtained Master’s degrees. We’ve also maintained regular promotions and introduced palliatives to boost morale.”
He concluded by stating that, “Our goal is to make FCAPT a national model in agricultural training, research, and innovation. These achievements reflect a collective commitment to excellence, resilience, and service to the agricultural sector.”