International Study Visit to Songhai Farm Enhances Sustainability Knowledge
Recognizing the importance of sustainable agricultural practices and their integration with educational initiatives, T_CEIPEC organized an international professional development visit to the renowned Songhai Farm in Porto-Novo, Benin Republic. This one-week immersive learning experience addressed institutional gaps in understanding integrated sustainable systems and practical agriculture-education linkages that could enhance T_CEIPEC’s training programs and institutional development.
Songhai Farm represents a pioneering model of sustainable agriculture where multiple production systems interconnect to create self-sustaining, zero-waste ecosystems. Participants observed and studied crop production systems using organic and sustainable methods, livestock management integrated with crop production, aquaculture operations that support multiple production chains, processing activities adding value to farm products, water recycling systems demonstrating resource efficiency, aquaponics utilizing fish pond water for crop irrigation, organic fertilizer production from farm waste, energy generation from biogas and other renewable sources, and comprehensive waste elimination strategies where every output from one system becomes input for another.
The visit provided T_CEIPEC staff with practical knowledge applicable to establishing a micro-level integrated farm at the Centre that would serve as a living laboratory for sustainability education, an experiential learning space for teacher training in agriculture and environmental education, a demonstration site for sustainable practices applicable to school gardens and community projects, a resource for interdisciplinary learning connecting agriculture, science, economics, and environmental stewardship, and a model for practical skills development aligned with Nigeria’s developmental priorities.
Following the visit, T_CEIPEC has initiated plans to develop a demonstration farm incorporating principles learned from Songhai, adapted to the Plateau State context. This initiative will enhance the Centre’s capacity to train teachers in sustainability education, provide practical learning experiences for students, contribute to institutional food security, and serve as a community resource for sustainable agricultural practices. The international exposure has enriched T_CEIPEC’s approach to holistic education that integrates environmental consciousness with pedagogical innovation.
