VC Commissions IAR Table Water Factory at Ahmadu Bello University

The Institute for Agricultural Research, IAR, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria has commissioned a table water factory to expand its internally generated revenue base and support research activities.

The commissioning took place at the Institute’s premises on 12th August, 2026.

Commissioning the project, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adamu Ahmed, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Professor Bello Sabo, said it took vision to look beyond the traditional boundaries of agricultural research and see an opportunity to build a viable business.

Professor Ahmed stated that it also took discipline to carry that vision through to a finished, branded product that met the standards required to reach the market. He said the IAR Director and his team had done both, and the University remained grateful to them.

The Vice-Chancellor noted that the project mattered for reasons that went beyond the water itself. He said every sachet and every bottle that leaves the facility will carry the name and logo of Ahmadu Bello University into homes, offices and shops across Zaria and beyond.

He added that the factory would create jobs within the institute and in the wider community that would support its distribution and sale, in addition to generating income that the institute could reinvest in its core mandate of research.

Professor Ahmed stressed that every unit of the University sits on knowledge, skills and, in many cases, land and equipment that can be turned into income-generating ventures. He encouraged institutes to look at what they already have and ask what value it could create beyond the classroom and the laboratory.

He further said that a university that generates its own income is a university that can better support its staff, its students and its research. He urged every institute and centre within the University to be innovative, creative, and to pursue projects that will strengthen the institution and the communities it serves.

The Vice-Chancellor assured the IAR Director of the University’s continuous support for the growth of the project.

Earlier in a welcome address, the Director, Institute for Agricultural Research, Professor Ado Yusuf, said the commissioning of the table water factory was more than the unveiling of a new product. He said it represented another important effort to transform the institute’s ideas, expertise and resources into practical ventures that could provide value to the University community and society at large.

Professor Yusuf explained that as an institution committed to research, innovation and development, IAR recognised the importance of complementing its core mandate with initiatives that could generate internally generated revenue, create employment opportunities and strengthen institutional capacity.

He expressed optimism that the project would grow into a reputable brand known for quality, affordability, reliability and excellent service, and thanked the Vice-Chancellor and University Management for their unwavering support towards the success of the initiative.