Transforming Nigeria’s agricultural education and tackling food security challenges, the Federal Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Food Security have announced reforms to modernise agricultural curricula, attract young people, and align training with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda for a technology-driven agricultural sector.
Speaking during the official presentation of the new Agricultural Curriculum Framework in Abuja, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, described the initiative as a pivotal step in repositioning agriculture as a pillar of national development.
Dr. Alausa expressed concern over the persistent decline in enrolment into agricultural degree programmes across tertiary institutions despite the nation’s heavy investment in the sector. He noted that in the 2024 UTME statistics on applications and admissions, 47.92% of the allocated admissions were not utilised. While there are thousands of open slots in agricultural courses annually, only a fraction are filled, posing a serious challenge to Nigeria’s long-term food security and economic growth.
“Agriculture is a major national priority, but enrolment in agriculture in higher institutions is dropping,” he said. “In the last three years, there have been thousands of open slots in agriculture, but only a fraction have been taken. This is a serious gap, especially in an area that should ensure food security for Nigeria and make the country an export hub for agricultural products.”
He contrasted this with the growing enthusiasm for vocational and technical agricultural training. “Out of over 900,000 TVET applications received recently, more than 210,000 were for livestock farming alone, while agriculture overall ranked close to garment making, which recorded over 260,000 applicants,” the Minister noted. “This shows that young Nigerians are eager to gain practical agricultural skills, but the outdated tertiary curriculum has not kept pace with modern realities.”
Dr. Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to modernising agricultural education to meet industry needs and align with emerging opportunities. “That’s why the Ministry of Education and state governments have agreed to modernise the curriculum to meet the needs of modern agricultural education,” he said. “Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government has already begun creating Special Agricultural Processing and Production Zones to add value and create new value chains that will employ hundreds of thousands of Nigerians.”
He cited the Republic of Benin’s cotton processing model bordering Borgu, Niger State, as an example of value addition and youth empowerment. “Benin moved from earning $500 million in raw cotton exports to $12 billion in processed cotton products, employing over 25,000 young people. Nigeria will replicate this success through curriculum reform and practical agricultural education that supports our production zones and export diversification goals.”
The Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, echoed Dr. Alausa’s position, emphasising that Nigeria’s food sovereignty agenda demands a comprehensive overhaul of agricultural education.
“As Nigeria seeks to diversify, we need more people engaged in agricultural enterprise,” Senator Abdullahi said. “Food security cannot be achieved without aligning our education and training systems with national priorities. Our curriculum must equip graduates not just with theoretical knowledge but with the practical skills and innovation needed to drive agricultural transformation.”
The newly developed Agricultural Curriculum Framework, jointly prepared by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, provides a roadmap for modernising agricultural education, strengthening technical and vocational training, and aligning Nigeria’s education system with global best practices to support the nation’s food security, youth employment, and economic diversification agenda.
The Federal Ministry of Education reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure the revised curriculum delivers modern, inclusive, and industry-relevant agricultural training across all levels of education.
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