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The Senate on Tuesday stepped down debate on the Agricultural Revolution Bill, 2026, sponsored by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, following a heated exchange over its scope and the failure to circulate printed copies to lawmakers.
The bill, listed as SB. 1082, is titled “A Bill for an Act to Provide a Comprehensive Legal Framework for Transformation and Modernisation of Agriculture in Nigeria” and seeks to promote food security, agricultural productivity, mechanisation, irrigation, agricultural financing, agro-industrialisation, rural development and climate-resilient farming.
The motion for second reading was moved by the Senate Chief Whip, Mohammed Monguno, on behalf of Barau.
Monguno said agriculture provided livelihoods for millions of Nigerians, accounting for about 70 per cent of employment and 40 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He identified low productivity, inadequate mechanisation, limited irrigation infrastructure, high post-harvest losses, poor access to affordable financing, insecurity in farming communities and weak agricultural value chains as major challenges confronting the sector.
Senator Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central) seconded the bill, noting that agriculture remained central to Nigeria’s economic diversification efforts and should be developed as a commercial venture rather than largely subsistence activity.
He pushed for massive investment in mechanisation, research and development to improve agricultural productivity and increase farmers’ yields per hectare.
However, trouble started when Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, questioned the structure of the bill.
While describing the idea as “excellent, fantastic and timeous”, Ningi said the document read more like a motion than a properly developed law and did not clarify whether it was creating a new agency or amending existing ones.
“You are actually building something on nothing,” Ningi said. He argued that an omnibus law covering the entire agricultural sector would be too broad.
“This is a brilliant idea, but a lot of work has not been done. If it is a motion, Mr President, this could be a very good motion, excellent preparatory work towards enacting a law. I believe we can stand down this bill and do a better job,” he added.
Barau invoked Order 79(1) of the Senate Standing Orders, arguing that at second reading, lawmakers should consider only the general principles of a bill.
“The facts remain that we are now in the second reading of the bill, where only the merits and demerits are to be discussed, not the nitty-gritty, not the details,” Barau said.
He disclosed that the bill had been gazetted and uploaded to the senate’s WhatsApp platform.
The exchange became heated when Ningi demanded a printed copy.
“Where is the bill? Show me a copy. Show me a copy,” Ningi shouted, insisting he had not received it.
Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, representing Kebbi North, who said he had lectured agriculture for over 25 years, also faulted the bill’s omnibus nature, saying agriculture was too wide to be covered without proper scrutiny.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially urged lawmakers to focus on merits and demerits but later agreed the bill was too voluminous to consider without copies.
“Deputy Senate President, please provide copies to all senators. Forget this platform. If the platform has collapsed, how will they see it?” Akpabio ruled.
Ningi then raised a point of order under Order 77(3) and (4), which requires printed copies of bills to be forwarded to every senator as soon as possible. The point of order was upheld.
Barau conceded and agreed to redistribute printed copies.
“So it has been withdrawn until it is given to him. Since that’s what you want, I will get it done. Forget about the fact that it has been placed on the platform. As we agreed, we are going to give you and give others who have not gotten it. We will comply with the rules,” Barau said.
The Senate subsequently stepped down the bill pending compliance with circulation rules.
