The Federal Government has inaugurated a 24-member Inter-Ministerial Committee tasked with overhauling the agricultural curricula across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.
The move is part of a strategic effort to reposition agriculture as a catalyst for food security, youth employment, and national economic growth.
The Minister of Education, who presided over the inauguration, described the reform initiative as a bold and timely intervention aimed at addressing the outdated and largely theoretical curricula that have limited the potential of Colleges and Universities of Agriculture in the country.
According to the Minister, the new direction seeks to align agricultural education with practical, modern and innovation-driven approaches that respond to real-world demands.
The committee comprises professionals and experts drawn from universities, polytechnics, colleges of education, the agribusiness sector and farmer associations. Their mandate includes auditing existing agricultural programs, modernizing curricula and ensuring agricultural education is both practical and relevant to contemporary industry needs.
The initiative also includes a plan to unlock vast tracts of unused agricultural land within tertiary institutions. These lands will be transformed into hubs for food production and serve as hands-on training grounds for students. The goal is to convert idle acres into innovation farms that promote experiential learning.
Data from the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Dashboard of the Federal Ministry of Education indicates a strong national interest in agricultural skills acquisition. Over 1.3 million Nigerians registered on the platform within just 10 days. Of the approximately 900,000 applications submitted, more than 210,000 were for livestock farming training alone. This data underscores the readiness of Nigerian youth to embrace agriculture if provided with the right opportunities.
The committee has been given a six-week deadline to deliver a comprehensive and forward-looking report. The Minister urged members to approach their task with urgency, insight and a sense of national purpose, emphasizing that agricultural education must take the lead in securing Nigeria’s food future.
