I spent the first 11 years of my childhood in Gboko Benue state, Nigeria, where I had my primary school education. Benue state is the “food basket of the Nation” because it is mainly an agrarian state. I grew up knowing that farming was a way of life. As a primary school pupil, my interest was in sciences: primary science, agricultural science and mathematics. It was common then to ask pupils to plant seeds in tins and cans and bring them to school as an assignment. I was always looked forward to such practical work. At high school my interest grew even stronger. It was fun, and a source of pride to call plants and animals by their scientific names.
