The Federal Government has charged all the Colleges of Agriculture in Nigeria to put emphasis on vocational and skill acquisition in their training programmes.
This it said will enable the beneficiaries of the training programmes to have practical and working knowledge of agricultural businesses.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari who gave this charge on Friday at the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) reform workshop in Abuja, directed that the colleges should focus more on practical training with less theory.
He directed ARCN to work with relevant stakeholders in the agricultural education sub-sector to actualize the directive.
The event was attended by heads of agricultural research institutes as well as heads of agricultural colleges across the country.
Kyari who was represented by the Minister of State, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said that agriculture is the singular most important sector that can transform the economy of the country to meet the growing demands for food, nutrition, industry and jobs.
“Accordingly, increase in agricultural productivity is the key determinant for socio-economic transformation and thus livelihood improvements in Nigeria,” he said.
“To drive agricultural transformation, research and training play a pivotal role. It is the engine room for agricultural development and our priority as a Ministry is therefore to reposition the National Agricultural Research System for greater productivity.
“This is the main reason why the Federal Government of Nigeria is insisting on the implementation of ARCN Act. This amendment made provisions for efficient management of research and training including the establishment of spinoff companies to commercialise research products and innovations generated by our institutions.
“You must therefore strengthen this platform as a means of increasing the internally generated revenue of your institutions in order to augment the available fund for research, training and extension activities.”
The minister said that there is a clear concern on growing shortages of staple crops such as rice, wheat, cassava, soybean, millet, sorghum among others, which he said are key to the achievement of food security of the dear nation.
“This must be the main reason why, Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, declared food security as the number one of his eight-point agenda to drive economic development of the country,” he said.
“You will recall my earlier directive that available lands within the various agricultural research and training institution should be channeled toward agricultural production. I therefore wish to reiterate that all of you should key into this initiative of the Ministry aimed at promoting food production in the country.”
Earlier in her remarks, the Executive Secretary of ARCN, Prof Garba Sharubutu said the council will continue to support the Federal government’s quest to achieve economic stability through the attainment of food security.