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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari has charged personnel of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), to base their researches on the mandate of President Bola Tinubu, to spur food production.
Kyari stated this at a workshop organised by ARCN for Chief Executive Officers of National Agricultural Institutes, Federal Colleges of Agriculture, yesterday in Abuja.
Kyari reminded them of the growing shortages of staple crops such as rice, wheat, cassava, soybean, millet and sorghum which he said remained key to the achievement of food security in the country.
He, also, charged them to prioritize vocational skills acquisition in their training programmes, which would reduce theory but practical outcomes.
Represented by Minister of State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Abdullahi Sabi, he said: “There is a clear concern on growing shortages of staple crops such as rice, wheat, cassava, soybean, millet, sorghum among others, which are key to the achievement of food security of our dear nation.
“This must be the main reason why, Mr. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, declared food security as the number one of his eight-point agenda to drive economic development of the country.
“Agriculture is the singular most important sector that can transform the economy of our great country to meet the growing demands for food, nutrition, industry and jobs.
“Accordingly, increase in agricultural productivity is the key determinant for socio-economic transformation and thus livelihood improvements in Nigeria.
“Improvement in agricultural productivity has been proven to take millions of people out of food insecurity and low-income status to food secured and improved living standards. To drive agricultural transformation, research and training plays a pivotal role.
“It is the engine room for agricultural development and our priority as a Ministry is therefore to reposition the National Agricultural Research System for greater productivity.
“This is the main reason why the Federal Government of Nigeria is insisting on the implementation of ARCN Act.
“This amendment made provisions for efficient management of research and training including the establishment of spinoff companies to commercialize research products and innovations generated by our institutions.
“You must therefore strengthen this platform as a means of increasing the internally generated revenue of your institutions in order to augment the available fund for research, training and extension activities.
“I am using this occasion to direct the Colleges to put emphasis on vocational and skill acquisition in your training programmes.
“Consequently, I expect your training programmes to be more of practical and less theory. This will enable the beneficiaries of this training programmes to have practical and working knowledge of agricultural businesses.
“The ARCN should therefore work with relevant stakeholders in the agricultural education sub-sector to actualize this directive.
“You will recall my earlier directive that available lands within the various agricultural research and training institution should be channeled toward agricultural production.
“I therefore wish to reiterate that all of you should key into this initiative of the Ministry aimed at promoting food production in the country.
“I am aware that the mandate of this meeting is to share ideas to come up with projects that cut across the mandate of various institutions which include technological development on machineries, genetic improvement, extension delivery and training of our youth to embrace agriculture as a business.
These to my knowledge are main functions of the various agricultural research institutes and colleges of agriculture under the purview of my Ministry.
“Consequently, I would direct the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria to exercise their principal function of advising the Federal Government through my Ministry on matters related agricultural research, training and extension services of Nigeria.”
ARCN Executive Secretary, Prof Garba Sharubutu, reminded participants that the training was organised to deepen agricultural research.
