Food security: Minister urges varsities to align academic curricular with national agric policies
By Abbas Nazil
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, has called on Deans of Agriculture from Nigerian universities to harmonize their academic curriculum with national agricultural policies to equip students with the practical skills and innovation needed for ensuring sustainable food security in Nigeria.
The minister made this call in Lafia, Nasarawa State, while declaring open the Ninth Conference of the Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigerian Universities.
Represented by Ayodele Olawumi, Director of the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension, the Minister reiterated that the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has prioritized agriculture as a key pillar for economic growth and food sufficiency.
He encouraged stakeholders across the sector to align their efforts with federal government policies and programs to overcome the persistent challenge of food insecurity in the country.
During the conference themed “Capacity Building and Entrepreneurship Development for Agricultural Transformation,” the participants emphasized the urgent need to reform agriculture education.
Professor Abu Godwin noted that many agricultural faculties in Nigeria remain underfunded and operate with obsolete equipment, poorly maintained laboratories, and inadequate demonstration farms.
These shortcomings, he said, have led to a wide gap between classroom instruction and the practical demands of modern agriculture.
Professor Godwin further argued that the outdated and largely theoretical curriculum in many agricultural institutions is disconnected from the real-world challenges and innovations driving agriculture today.
This disconnect, he warned, weakens the capacity of universities to produce graduates who are ready to contribute meaningfully to national food production and agricultural development.
Echoing the call for educational transformation, Professor James Joyeoba, President of the Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigerian Universities, stressed the need to revamp agricultural education to focus more on practical knowledge, especially for youth and women.
He emphasized that agriculture remains a key driver for inclusive development, and empowering the next generation of agro-professionals is essential for boosting crop and livestock productivity.
Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lafia, Professor Shehu Abdul-Rahman, urged participants to adopt innovative approaches and collaborative knowledge-sharing to identify actionable strategies that can drive agricultural production and contribute to Nigeria’s food security and economic resilience.
Representing the President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Abdul Kamara underscored the importance of entrepreneurial education in agriculture.
He encouraged students and graduates to take advantage of small and medium-scale agribusiness programs supported by the bank to build viable livelihoods and strengthen the agricultural value chain across the country.
