A Close Look Into Emiola's Presidency: The Manifesto and the Reality

By: Adebayo Balqees Folayemi 

Emiola Deborah Favour, President of the Agronomy Club, University of Ibadan, is nearing the end of her tenure, with several commitments from her manifesto either partially fulfilled or yet to be implemented.

Her manifesto centred on practical agricultural experience, technical skills, academic support and greater exposure beyond the classroom. Among her major promises were a student-managed Agri-business project, tractor-driving and agricultural drone training, academic coaching for AGM and Chemistry, and two academic excursions per session to institutions such as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Institute of Horticultural Research (NIHORT).

With the session approaching its end, the President was interviewed to examine the progress of these commitments and the reasons behind those that have not materialised.

The Agri-business Project That Never Took Off

One of the major promises in Emiola's manifesto was a student-managed Agri-business project where students would participate in land preparation, planting, management, harvesting, processing, marketing and sales, with profits shared among active participants. The plan was to begin with okra cultivation and incorporate practical exposure to farm management and modern agricultural practices.

The project, however, was not established.

Explaining what prevented it from happening, Emiola said there had been “several contentions” about the project from the beginning. She added that the new structure of Agricultural Practical Training (APT) was not favourable because it was already enough stress for students.

“So eventually, it wasn't feasible. So no, it didn't happen,” she said.

When asked whether anything would replace the project, her response was direct.

“No. There isn't.”

The student-managed Agri-business project therefore remains unfulfilled, with no replacement initiative identified by the President.

Tractor Training, Drone Training and the Shift to Biogas

Emiola's manifesto promised hands-on training in tractor driving and agricultural drone technology, with personnel reportedly already available to train students. The training was intended to provide practical exposure to field mapping, crop monitoring, spraying and other farm operations.

The tractor-driving training, however, was not carried out as proposed.

“The tractor driving training wasn't fully approved by the department and faculty due to some reasons I'll rather not state,” Emiola said.

She added that the tractor training had been replaced by another initiative.

“However, it has been replaced with the upcoming biogas training and the pre-training for the drone training has also commenced.”

The President later identified drone training and biogas making among the initiatives currently ongoing under her administration.

The development therefore leaves the original tractor-driving and drone-training promise only partially fulfilled, which is also how Emiola herself classified it in her final assessment of the manifesto.

Academic Coaching: From AGM and Chemistry to a Proposed 100-Level Tutorial

Academic coaching was another major component of the manifesto. Emiola had specifically identified AGM and Chemistry as academic challenges and promised regular tutorials and peer-assisted learning involving high-performing students and course representatives.

When asked whether the promised tutorials had been organised consistently and whether there was evidence of improved academic performance, Emiola said:

“The training will be done by the AGS towards exams.

It's going to be a tutorial for 100lvl students.”

The response raised questions about how the proposed arrangement connected with the original manifesto. She was asked why the Assistant General Secretary was responsible for the initiative, while also being reminded that 100-level students were not taking AGM, one of the courses originally identified in the manifesto.

Emiola explained:

“Yes.

It's a proposal that will be carried out by the AGS because he is in charge of it.

Mine is to ensure that it is done.”

The proposed tutorial is therefore different in scope from the AGM and Chemistry-focused academic coaching originally outlined in the manifesto. It was also described as a future initiative to be carried out towards examinations, rather than a completed programme.

Emiola ultimately classified academic coaching as “Partially fulfilled.”

The Excursions That Did Not Happen

The manifesto promised two major academic excursions every academic session, one per semester, with institutions such as IITA and NIHORT identified as possible destinations. Emiola had also stated in her manifesto that connections with these institutions were already in place.

The excursions, however, did not take place.

According to Emiola, IITA had been planned, but approval was not obtained to take Agronomy students outside the university premises.

“IITA was planned but we didn't get the approval of the department to take AGY students out of the school premises,” she said.

When asked why, she responded:

“Reasons best known to them.

I think it's majorly because of the safety of the students sha.”

Asked specifically about NIHORT, Emiola initially questioned the feasibility of planning another excursion if IITA, which she described as being close to the university, had not received approval.

After clarification was sought on whether NIHORT had actually been planned, she eventually stated:

“Okay.

Excursions were not approved by the HODs.”

Emiola subsequently classified the academic excursions to IITA and NIHORT as “Not going to be fulfilled.”

Thus, a manifesto commitment that envisaged two academic excursions during the session will not be realised during the tenure.

What the Administration Points To

Beyond the specific manifesto promises, Emiola's vision also included preparing students for careers, entrepreneurship and further studies by creating opportunities that would make them more confident and practically competent.

When asked what specific opportunities had been provided towards this part of her vision, she pointed to two initiatives:

“Drone training

Bio gas making

Are initiatives that are currently ongoing.”

These initiatives form part of the practical activities Emiola identifies as the visible work of her administration. However, several of the specific projects originally outlined in the manifesto either did not materialise or changed in form.

The student-managed Agri-business project was not established. The tractor-driving training was not approved. The academic excursions were not approved, while the academic coaching arrangement now described by the President differs from the AGM and Chemistry-focused tutorials originally promised.

Complaints About Visible Impact

There have also been complaints from some students that the administration has not done enough or that its impact has not been sufficiently visible.

Responding to the concerns, Emiola said:

“I understand the complaints, and I take them seriously.”

She explained that her focus had been on practical, skill-based initiatives such as the planned drone training and biogas production, which she said were intended to give students “real agricultural value.”

She also acknowledged that not every planned effort became visible.

“It wasn't every effort that eventually became visible,” she said, pointing to the tractor-driving training and a business tutorial that “did not work out despite the work put into them.”

She further recognised that some students expected a more visible leadership style and described that perception as valid, while remaining open to clearer feedback on what students would consider impact.

The President's Own Assessment

In her final assessment of the manifesto, Emiola categorised the major commitments herself.

The Agri-business project was “Yet to be fulfilled.”

The tractor-driving and drone training was “Partially fulfilled.”

Academic coaching was “Partially fulfilled.”

The academic excursions to IITA and NIHORT were “Not going to be fulfilled.”

These classifications provide the clearest account of the current status of the major promises made in the manifesto, based on the President's own assessment.

The Manifesto and the Reality

Emiola's manifesto presented a presidency built around practical agricultural experience, technical training, academic support and exposure beyond the classroom.

The account of the tenure so far shows a difference between some of those original commitments and their current status.

The student-managed Agri-business project did not happen and has no replacement. The tractor-driving training was not fully approved, while the drone component had reached the pre-training stage and biogas training was introduced as an alternative. The proposed academic coaching for AGM and Chemistry has instead become a planned tutorial for 100-level students through the Assistant General Secretary. The proposed excursions to IITA and NIHORT were not approved by the HODs and will not be fulfilled.

At the same time, Emiola points to drone training and biogas making as initiatives currently ongoing under her administration, while acknowledging concerns about the visibility of her administration's impact.

With a few weeks left in her tenure, the final record of the administration is yet to be closed. However, the President's own responses show that several of the commitments presented to students remain either unfulfilled or only partially fulfilled.