The Federal University Gashua (FUGA), Yobe State, has unveiled a modern chick-incubator that will boost research and the training of students in poultry farming in the Northeast.
FUGA’s Head of Information and Protocol, Adamu Saleh, in a statement issued to newsmen, said the incubator is a cutting-edge machine that’ll boost poultry farming to ensure food security and employment in the agricultural and livestock sectors of the economy.
On the efficiency of the incubator, Saleh said: “Our procured incubator is already performing at about 95 per cent of hatching eggs at the varsity’s poultry farm sited on the Gashua- Nguru road,” adding that staff of the Departments of Agriculture and Animal Science are working round the clock to hatch tens of thousands of eggs into day-old chicks for distribution to the poultry farmers in the region, comprising Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe and Taraba states.
He said the new development in the poultry industry underscores the university’s advancement in agricultural science by equipping students with knowledge and skills to achieve national food security and full employment.
The Information Head attributed the modern incubator to the visionary leadership of FUGA’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Maimuna Waziri. He said besides her leadership roles, the strategic direction of the VC, have positioned the varsity as the centre for academic excellence and innovation in agriculture.
The Head of Department of Animal Science, Dr. Lawan Adamu, also explained that the hatching machine was procured earlier by the former VC, Prof. Andrew Haruna for the department’s accreditation, but was not utilised by the department until this year.
