Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen Aliyu Abdullahi, Thursday, gave marching order to agricultural research institutes in the country to boost yields of rice, sorghum, potato, millet, yam, cassava, and wheat, and cowpea. In a keynote address, the Minister gave the charge at the Report Validation Meeting with Heads of Agricultural Research Institutes and Federal Colleges of Agriculture on NADF Baseline/Needs Assessment Study in Abuja. Abdullahi also lamented that most of the research institutes lack greenhouses, research farms, international standard organization certified laboratories, research protocol guidelines, hence the Tinubu-led administration is working hard to address these challenges.
He said: “Let our people have food, what we are doing here is to use this to generate what I would call proof-of-concept. Proof-of-concept that look, the research institutes can be paid to solve the very difficult problems of this country. The reality today is that Nigeria is still below as far as the yield gap is concerned. Most of our commodities, we are still not meeting the target, where people are getting 10 tonnes, we are hardly able to make five tonnes that is a challenge. But does that mean that that is where we can be? Does that mean so? Are the potentials not there? So that is why we must change the narrative, and the beginning of changing the narrative is this baseline survey and need assessment.
“Whatever support we want to do, we don’t have all the resources but my suggestion would be that as we prioritize our intervention, let us go to the institutes that are going to produce our food because our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, has said time to time, he desires to see a country where no one goes to bed hungry. So what it means is that we will be able to meet our food demand, and right now, the food deficit, it is real. Can’t we do more? So we need improved varieties of maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, millet, cowpea, yam, cassava, and potatoes because they have 100 per cent acceptability across the country. I want to call upon all of you, if we are able to use this to launch a new revolution in agriculture because today farmers need improved varieties of seeds but we know we are not where we want to be, and the only way that this can be achieved is when we put in the necessary things.
“There is a lot to be done, and let me also give you this opportunity to say, be leaders of your institutes, be fighters of your institutes. If you motivate your staff, they will perform, if you counsel your staff, they will perform.” In a welcome remark, the Executive Secretary, National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, disclosed moves to salvage research institutes in order to take their rightful place to boost food production. According to Ibrahim some of the key findings from the reports demand urgent improvement include funding, research support, technological integration, and industry linkages. “Today’s validation exercise is an opportunity to refine these recommendations, ensuring they align with national and global agricultural priorities. The Catalyst for a Thriving Nation Research is often defined as the process of seeking out knowledge conducted by collecting and analysing data for a specific purpose. Our purpose today is to analyse the state of agricultural research institutes and colleges of agriculture, the strengths, gaps, opportunities and constraints.
“Research is not just a foundation for success; it is the cradle of national development. No nation has ever achieved greatness without investing in knowledge, discovery, and innovation. The most advanced economies in the world did not rise by chance; they rose because they dared to explore, to innovate, and to embrace research as the engine of their growth. The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) was established to address agricultural finance challenges and enhance the potential of Nigeria’s agriculture and food systems, with the goal of promoting sustainable development and food security. In line with this mandate, we conducted a comprehensive baseline and needs assessment survey to evaluate the state of our agricultural research institutes and colleges.
This effort, supported by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), has provided invaluable insights into the strengths, gaps, and opportunities within our agricultural research and training ecosystem.
“We are here today not just for another meeting but for a defining moment—an opportunity to lay the foundation for a stronger, more innovative agricultural sector in Nigeria and because we believe in something greater: the power of research and education to transform our agricultural landscape”, he added.
