The Federal Government has unveiled a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s agricultural education system aimed at revitalizing food production, promoting innovation, and creating jobs for young Nigerians.
The initiative, jointly championed by the Federal Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Food Security, was officially launched in Abuja. It seeks to modernize Nigeria’s agricultural curriculum to reflect global standards, integrate technology, and reposition agriculture as a key driver of national development.
According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, the reform will harmonize academic training with modern agricultural practices, innovation, and value-chain development.
Aligning Education with Food Security Goals
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a pivotal step in aligning the education sector with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for food security, employment, and economic diversification.
He noted that despite sustained government investment in agriculture, interest among young Nigerians in studying agricultural-related courses has continued to decline.
“Statistics from the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) revealed that 47.92 per cent of admission slots allocated to agricultural courses remain unfilled,” Alausa said.
He emphasized that this low enrollment poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s long-term food production and export goals.
“This is a serious gap in a sector that should guarantee food security and make Nigeria a major player in agricultural exports,” he added.
Rising Interest in Technical and Vocational Agriculture
While interest in traditional agricultural degrees is falling, Dr. Alausa highlighted a surge in applications for technical and vocational agricultural programmes across the country.
“Out of more than 900,000 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) applications recently received, over 210,000 were for livestock farming alone,” he said.
He explained that agriculture ranked closely behind garment making, which had over 260,000 applicants, showing that young Nigerians prefer practical, skill-based learning over theory-heavy courses.
“This shows that young Nigerians are eager to gain practical agricultural skills, but our outdated tertiary curriculum has not kept pace with modern realities,” he noted.
Towards a Modern Agricultural Curriculum
The Federal Government plans to overhaul agricultural education in universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education to make them more relevant to the demands of the agricultural sector.
The restructured curriculum will focus on practical training, innovation, agribusiness, mechanisation, and value-chain development. This shift is expected to boost food production, reduce unemployment, and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural zones.
Dr. Alausa cited the Republic of Benin as a model example, noting how the country transformed its cotton industry through education and practical training.
“Benin moved from earning $500 million in raw cotton exports to $12 billion in processed products, employing more than 25,000 young people. Nigeria can replicate this success through curriculum reform and practical agricultural education,” he stated.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, also emphasized the need to align Nigeria’s education system with its national agricultural goals.
He said that diversifying the economy requires a new generation of skilled agricultural professionals capable of driving innovation, processing, and sustainable production.
“The curriculum should focus on practical experience and innovation rather than just theoretical knowledge. That is how we will transform the sector and achieve true food sovereignty,” Abdullahi said.
The agricultural curriculum reform marks a major milestone in the government’s ongoing effort to strengthen food systems, empower youth, and achieve national food self-sufficiency.
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