The Federal Government has unveiled 39 reviewed and newly developed agricultural curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards to strengthen food security, improve agricultural productivity and expand employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the initiative at an event held at the UBEC Digital Resource Centre in Abuja, alongside a new training model that allocates 80 per cent of learning to practical activities and 20 per cent to theory.
The reform is designed to bridge the gap between education and industry by equipping students with practical skills for modern agriculture, livestock production and agribusiness development.
According to the minister, the initiative began in 2025 through collaboration among the Federal Ministries of Education, Agriculture and Food Security, and Livestock Development, as well as regulatory agencies, educational institutions, curriculum experts and industry stakeholders.
The exercise produced 39 curricula, comprising 32 reviewed and seven newly developed programmes, alongside 31 National Occupational Standards covering National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and relevant Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) agricultural programmes. The NCE programmes were developed in collaboration with the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Under the new model, institutions are expected to prioritise hands-on training through teaching farms, greenhouses, processing facilities and agricultural technology hubs.
The curricula also cover emerging areas such as precision agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, artificial insemination and agribusiness, with the aim of preparing graduates for changing industry demands and encouraging entrepreneurship.
Alausa said the success of the reform would be measured by graduates’ practical competence, increased agricultural output, job creation and tangible contributions to national food security.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, commended the initiative, describing it as a step towards practical, industry-driven agricultural education.
Maiha highlighted the contribution of livestock production to food and nutrition security, employment, industrial development and exports. He cited the Middle East red meat market, valued at approximately $3.2 billion, as an opportunity for Nigeria, while noting that the country’s ability to compete was constrained by weaknesses in sector organisation and a shortage of practical expertise.
He urged educational institutions to establish functional farms, adopt digital and climate-smart agricultural practices, and improve access to skills, technology, finance and markets. He also stressed that practical training facilities should be central to institutional accreditation.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the initiative would support efforts to reposition Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), improve teacher preparation and align education with labour-market requirements.
She said competency-based instruction and clearly defined occupational standards would improve training quality and prepare graduates for productive employment.
Ahmad called on regulatory agencies, educational institutions and industry partners to support implementation by providing qualified instructors, adequate equipment, functional workshops and continuous professional development.
She also advocated stronger partnerships with industry to expand apprenticeships, industrial attachments and workplace learning, while ensuring that women, persons with disabilities and young people from underserved communities had equitable access to training opportunities.
Alausa pledged continued collaboration with relevant ministries, regulatory agencies, educational institutions and industry partners to ensure that the new curricula and occupational standards translate into measurable improvements in agricultural skills, productivity and employment nationwide.
The reform forms part of the Federal Government’s efforts to develop a skilled and entrepreneurial workforce capable of supporting agribusiness growth and advancing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
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