The Sustainable Agriculture Education and Empowerment (SAEE) Project Review Meeting, held on 29th July 2025, was convened to evaluate the current state of implementation across participating schools. The meeting brought together focal teachers, principals, project staff, and key stakeholders to reflect on progress, address challenges, and chart practical strategies for ensuring long-term success of the initiative.
The session began with an opening prayer led by Mr. Daniel Agbonghale, Outreach Officer, followed by a welcome address from Dr. Olujide Arije, Director of Christian Food Aid (CFA).
In attendance were representatives of the beneficiary schools, namely:
- School of Science, Ondo Road
- Ife Girls High School, Eleyele
- Origbo Community Unity Secondary School
- Modakeke Islamic Grammar School
- St. John’s Grammar School, Oke-Atan
- Moremi High School, OAU Campus
Project Overview and Progress Summary
Mr. Eyitayo Mobolaji, the Project Manager (PM), outlined the purpose of the meeting:
- assess the implementation of SAEE activities in schools,
- Identify challenges, and strengthen collaborative action plans.
He shared updates on the project’s milestones and geographic coverage while highlighting progress in each participating school. A notable decision discussed was the temporary adoption of inorganic fertilizers due to time constraints in preparing compost manure, ensuring that farming activities remained on schedule.
The performance review was done by Miss Confidence Adefiwitan, Monitoring & Evaluation Officer. She presented the details of the two-day training sessions held for focal teachers, as well as updates on the launch of agriculture clubs across the beneficiary schools. She emphasized the encouraging participation and achievements recorded so far.
The session for the challenges and possible solutions concerning the project was manned by Mr. Oluwatobi Adeniran, one of the SAEE Agric Officers, who encouraged contributions and further recommendations from the focal school teachers and administrators.
Following this, Dr. Oladejo, SAEE Agriculture Consultant, commended CFA for its commitment and urged schools to strengthen their engagements with the project. He emphasized the importance of building stronger beneficiary school–CFA relationships, integrating SAEE activities within school timetables, and encouraging participation beyond agriculture teachers.
The Project Manager also raised concerns about the apathy of some principals, and all participants agreed that strengthened communication and collaboration were essential for sustained success.
CFA management announced a new stipend disbursement policy whereby principals must approve payments, but funds will now be paid directly to teachers to ensure transparency and efficiency.
Closing Remarks
In his closing remarks, Dr. Olujide Arije expressed gratitude to all participants and shared that the project sponsor, Samaritan’s Purse Canada, was pleased with the progress achieved so far.
He encouraged beneficiary schools to maintain their commitment, noting that consistent effort could pave the way for a two-year extension of the SAEE Project.
The review meeting highlighted the strong progress of the SAEE Project while identifying areas for improvement. With enhanced collaboration, broader participation, and innovative solutions to challenges, the project is well-positioned to strengthen agricultural education and empower students for the future.
