After 40 years, Nigeria has finally assessed its agricultural research system, taking a significant step toward revitalizing research institutes and colleges of agriculture across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, disclosed this at the technical session of the report validation of the NADF Baseline Survey and Needs Assessment of Agricultural Research Institutes and Federal Colleges of Agriculture, which ended on Friday in Abuja.
“The last time any system-wide assessment or evaluation of the National Agricultural Research System was conducted was as a prelude to President Shehu Shagari’s Green Revolution.
“Since then, no government has deemed it necessary to take a peek into the research institute system with a view to transforming them until this very government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Abdullahi stated.
The minister commended the NADF for spearheading the project, saying, “I want to thank you most sincerely for that and for NADF also providing the necessary tactics to follow your words to ensure that this exercise is completed.”
He further emphasised the need to upgrade research and training infrastructure.
He added, “Agricultural research is the engine of growth of the agricultural sector.”
The Executive Secretary of NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, explained that the evaluation covered 16 agricultural research institutes and 17 colleges of agriculture.
“What we have done is that around September last year, we constituted a consultancy team to do a baseline survey and a needs assessment so that we will be able to know their strengths, their constraints, their gaps, their challenges, and of course, their opportunities,” Ibrahim said.
Describing the condition of the research institutes as “very, very deplorable,” Ibrahim blamed years of neglect, stating, “There is a lot that needs to be done. These institutes and colleges of agriculture have been neglected for years and years.”
However, he expressed optimism about the renewed government commitment, adding, “We are now here, thanks to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We want to have a very tailored approach.”
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, Prof. Garba Sharubutu, described the assessment as a “rebirth of the agricultural research system in this country.”
He added, “Before Tinubu’s administration, for over 25 years, no thought, no thinking, no attempt was made to touch on the substance of the agricultural research system.”
The Executive Director of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute and Chairman of the Committee of Directors of Research Institutes, Lateef Sanni, emphasised the initiative’s role in tackling Nigeria’s food security challenges.
“The ability of our research institutes to generate and transfer innovative technologies for use by stakeholders across the agricultural value chain is critical to achieving food security, agro-industrialization, and poverty alleviation.
“Without investment in research, innovation, and development, we cannot expect significant progress in agriculture,” he said.
The findings of the needs assessment highlighted the urgent need for increased funding and infrastructure upgrades.
“The newest tools and equipment in our research institutes were procured decades ago and are now obsolete.
“However, under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, funding to these institutions has increased, though the budgetary provision remains inadequate to address the infrastructure deficit,” the minister noted.
According to him, as part of the reform process, NADF has entered into partnerships to enhance research facilities.
He said: “We have already signed an MOU with one of Africa’s largest renewable power companies to provide constant power to these institutes. We are also in discussions with an internet service provider to ensure that these institutions have reliable connectivity.”