How Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Nigeria is Utilising FAO’s AGORA to increase the global visibility of the institution's research work
11 Nov 2024
In this conversation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) interviews Olumayowa Joseph IYANDA (Ph.D.), lecturer and researcher at Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Nigeria. Olumayowa Joseph IYANDA (Ph.D.) highlights the impact of FAO’s Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) collection, a subscription-based database, which provides access to thousands of high-quality journals, e-books, and other information resources covering all of FAO's areas of interest. AGORA is one of the five collections that make up Research4Life.
Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), is a private university in Nigeria, founded in 2009 by the legal luminary and educationist, Aare Afe Babalola. It is known for its commitment to academic excellence and innovation. ABUAD offers a wide range of programs in fields such as science, engineering, law, medicine, and agriculture, with a focus on research and development aimed at addressing global challenges.
ABUAD began utilising AGORA in 2014, recognizing the importance of high-quality research materials in supporting agricultural sciences and other disciplines.
AGORA is widely utilised by both staff and students at ABUAD. The number of active users fluctuates, but it includes most faculty members in the Sciences and Agricultural Sciences Department, as well as postgraduate students who rely on these resources for their research and academic work.
The most useful resources within AGORA for ABUAD include access to agricultural journals, databases on crop physiology, sustainable farming practices, and environmental management. The wealth of peer-reviewed articles and scientific papers enhances research and teaching materials.
The key benefits to utilising AGORA include access to otherwise costly scientific journals and research papers, which greatly enhance academic research and teaching quality. It allows faculty and students to stay updated with the latest findings in their fields, promotes evidence-based decision-making in agricultural research, and fosters collaboration with international scholars.
AGORA has contributed significantly to the quality of research output at ABUAD. It has allowed researchers to conduct in-depth literature reviews, enhanced the quality of student projects and theses, and increased the global visibility of the institution's research work through improved citation and collaboration opportunities. Faculty members can publish more high-impact papers thanks to the comprehensive access to current research facilitated by AGORA.
"These resources align directly with the university’s mission of fostering innovation and advancing knowledge to tackle global challenges," said Olumayowa Joseph IYANDA (Ph.D.), “AGORA has been instrumental in providing our students and faculty with access to cutting-edge research, enabling them to engage in impactful studies and develop solutions that contribute meaningfully to sustainable agriculture and environmental management."
Looking Forward: Future Collaboration
The partnership between ABUAD and AGORA holds great potential for advancing research, enhancing teaching, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
