By Jonathan Ugbal
In a bid to transform agriculture and education in northern Cross River, Cygnus Alliances Nigeria Limited, CANL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the Obanliku Local Government Area to establish sustainable school-based gardens and farms.
The system which also seek to establish fishponds, livestock farms, and poultry farms across public schools will equip pupils and students with knowledge and skills in the value chain of the earlier-mentioned sub-sectors.
“What we are doing here is modelling a new generation of youth and learning, where classrooms extend into farms, technology meets tradition, and students graduate not just with certificates, but with competence, confidence and purpose,” Prince Isaac Achu, the Chief Executive Officer, CANL said at the ceremony.
Mr. Achu, who participated virtually from Texas in the United States of America, added that CANL has, for years, “envisioned a future where young people are taught not merely to memorize facts, but to solve real problems, create value and build sustainable livelihoods from what they learn in school.”
He explained that the program is deliberately designed to model a new generation of learners, globally competitive yet firmly rooted in local realities – a reality that the Council is happy about since it represents a shared commitment to equipping young people with practical, income-generating skills.
“By integrating agribusiness and agro-technology into our secondary schools, we are preparing our students not just to pass examinations, but to create value, generate income and contribute meaningfully to society,” said the Secretary of the Council, Dr. Joseph Ebebe Agba.
Agba who represented the Council’s Chairman, Chief Sunny Ayang also disclosed that the MoUs “goes beyond signatures on paper,” as it is a defining moment for the Council.
“When young people are given the right tools, mentorship and opportunities early in life, they become creators of jobs, not seekers of jobs. This is how communities grow, economies expand and futures are secured,” he said.
A statement shared with CrossRiverWatch by Cygnus says a pilot program will run for six months in one public secondary school in the Local Government Area.
Also, the company has signed a similar MoU with Corner Stone Secondary School and, Godbey Commercial Secondary Schools, both private institutions in Sankwala, Obanliku Local Government Area where the management of the latter said the partnership aligns with the school’s commitment to skills development and responsible citizenship.
“This initiative gives our students dignity of labour backed by knowledge, technology and enterprise,” Innocent Anyonya, the principal of Godbey Commercial School said, adding that, “It teaches them that they can create wealth ethically, starting from their immediate environment.”
“At maturity, the produce from the farms will be packaged for sale with Cygnus collecting 50% while the remaining half is shared equally between the Council and the school,” the statement read.
For sustainability, a smoke house will be established to reduce waste and aid “in the packaging and preservation of fishes for the local and international markets,” Cygnus said.
Functional and sustainable agribusiness units that will combine classroom instructions with hands-on learning will be established in the schools in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Board and other stakeholders, thereby positioning the council as a model for rural transformation, especially in the areas of youth empowerment through the provision of a new generation of skilled agro-tech educated indigenes, food security and rural development.
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