The Federal Government has announced a comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s agricultural education system to strengthen food production, enhance job creation, and attract more young people to the sector. The initiative, jointly implemented by the Federal Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Food Security, was unveiled in Abuja and seeks to modernise agricultural curricula across the country’s institutions to reflect current industry practices and technological advancements.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Director of Press and Public Relations at the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, said the reform represents a strategic effort to reposition agriculture as a driver of national development and economic diversification.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a critical step toward achieving President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a technology-driven agricultural sector capable of ensuring food security and stimulating growth.
Alausa expressed concern over declining enrollment in agricultural programmes across tertiary institutions despite substantial government investment in the sector.
Statistics from the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), he said, show that 47.92 per cent of admission slots for agricultural courses remain unfilled.
“Agriculture is a national priority, yet enrolment continues to drop, leaving thousands of open slots unoccupied in the past three years,” he said.
He warned that the shortfall in trained agricultural professionals poses a significant risk to Nigeria’s food production goals.
“This is a serious concern, particularly in a sector expected to guarantee food security and position Nigeria as a leading exporter of agricultural products,” he added.
While university enrollment in agriculture is declining, Alausa noted a surge in applications for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, indicating that young Nigerians prefer hands-on agricultural learning.
“Out of over 900,000 TVET applications recently received, more than 210,000 were for livestock farming alone, while agriculture as a whole ranked close to garment-making, which had over 260,000 applicants,” he said.
He explained that the trend highlights the need to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
“Young Nigerians are eager to acquire practical agricultural skills, but the outdated university curriculum has failed to reflect the realities of today’s agricultural industry,” Alausa stated.
Driving Reform Through Innovation
The government said the new curriculum will integrate innovation, value-chain development, and practical training to meet current industry demands, support economic diversification, and create sustainable jobs.
Alausa cited the Republic of Benin’s transformation in cotton processing as an example Nigeria intends to replicate.
“Benin increased its earnings from $500 million in raw cotton exports to $12 billion in processed products, creating over 25,000 jobs. Nigeria can achieve similar results through curriculum reform and practice-oriented agricultural education,” he said.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, emphasised the need to align education and training systems with Nigeria’s food security and economic priorities.
“Diversifying the economy requires more skilled people in agricultural enterprises. Our curriculum must therefore prioritise practical skills, innovation, and entrepreneurship to drive agricultural transformation,” he said.
