FG overhauls agricultural education to tackle food insecurity, boost youth employment

By Isaac Joseph Inyang

The Federal Government has overhauled Nigeria’s agricultural education system to modernize curricula, boost food security, and create employment opportunities for young people across the country.

The reform, jointly introduced by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was officially unveiled in Abuja on Sunday as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for a technology-driven agricultural sector.

PAY ATTENTION: Follow The Lagos Voice on WhatsApp channel for latest updates

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa (CON), described the new Agricultural Curriculum Framework as a major step toward repositioning agriculture as a pillar of national development.

Dr. Alausa said the move became necessary following the persistent decline in enrolment for agricultural programmes across tertiary institutions despite the government’s heavy investment in the sector.

He disclosed that in the 2024 UTME, about 47.92 percent of the allocated admissions for agricultural programmes were left unutilized. He warned that such a trend poses a serious challenge to the nation’s long-term food security and economic stability. “Agriculture is a major national priority, but enrolment in higher institutions is dropping,” the Minister said. “In the last three years, thousands of open slots in agriculture remain vacant. This is alarming, especially in a field that should secure our food future and position Nigeria as an export hub for agricultural products.”

The Minister noted that while university enrolment has dropped, interest in vocational and technical agricultural training has surged. Over 900,000 applications were received for TVET programmes, out of which more than 210,000 were for livestock farming alone, while agriculture overall ranked close to garment making with about 260,000 applicants.

According to Dr. Alausa, this shows that Nigerian youths are eager to gain hands-on agricultural skills, but the outdated tertiary curriculum no longer reflects the realities of modern agriculture.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to modernizing agricultural education to meet industry demands and emerging opportunities. “That’s why the Ministry of Education and state governments have agreed to update the curriculum to meet modern needs,” he said. “Under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government has already started creating Special Agricultural Processing and Production Zones to add value and create new value chains that will employ hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.”

Dr. Alausa also cited the Republic of Benin’s cotton processing model bordering Borgu, Niger State, as an example of successful agricultural reform. He explained that Benin increased its cotton revenue from $500 million in raw exports to $12 billion in processed products, employing over 25,000 young people. He said Nigeria aims to replicate this success through curriculum reform and practical agricultural training.

On his part, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, stressed that Nigeria cannot achieve food security without aligning education and training systems with national priorities. “Our curriculum must equip graduates not just with theoretical knowledge but with the practical skills and innovation required to drive agricultural transformation,” he said.

The newly developed Agricultural Curriculum Framework provides a roadmap for strengthening agricultural education, promoting technical and vocational training, and aligning Nigeria’s education system with global best practices to support food security, youth employment, and economic diversification.

The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the revised curriculum delivers modern, inclusive, and industry-relevant agricultural training across all levels of education.