Federal Government Launches Major Overhaul of Agricultural Education to Boost Food Security and Youth Employment

The Federal Government has announced a sweeping reform of Nigeria’s agricultural education system, a move aimed at modernizing training, improving food production, and creating sustainable job opportunities for the country’s youth.

The initiative, jointly led by the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, was unveiled in Abuja. It seeks to update Nigeria’s agricultural curriculum to reflect global best practices and integrate advanced technology into teaching and training.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Mrs. Folasade Boriowo, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education.

Modernizing Agricultural Training in Nigeria

Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, described the reform as a landmark effort to reposition agriculture as a key pillar of Nigeria’s national development agenda.

He explained that the new curriculum reform supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a modern, technology-driven agricultural sector capable of ensuring food security, boosting exports, and diversifying the economy.

However, the Minister expressed concern about the declining number of students enrolling in agricultural-related courses across universities and colleges, despite continued government investment in the sector.

According to him, data from the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) revealed that nearly 48% of available admission slots for agricultural programmes remained vacant.

“Agriculture is a major national priority, but enrollment in agricultural courses in higher institutions is dropping.
In the last three years, there have been thousands of open slots, but only a fraction have been taken,” Alausa said.

He warned that this decline poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s food security ambitions and long-term economic growth.

“This is a major gap in a sector that should guarantee food security for our country and position Nigeria as a global hub for agricultural exports,” he added.

Youth Shifting Interest Toward Practical and Technical Training

Despite the low enrollment in university agriculture programmes, Dr. Alausa highlighted a significant increase in youth participation in vocational and technical agricultural training.

He noted that this shift reflects a growing preference among young Nigerians for hands-on, skills-based learning, particularly in areas like livestock farming, aquaculture, and mechanized crop production.

“Out of more than 900,000 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) applications received recently, over 210,000 were for livestock farming alone, while agriculture as a whole ranked close to garment making, which attracted over 260,000 applicants,” he revealed.

According to the Minister, this trend shows that young Nigerians are interested in agriculture, but the current university curriculum is outdated and fails to match the realities of the modern agricultural industry.

“This demonstrates that our youth are willing to learn agricultural skills, but our tertiary institutions must catch up with modern industry needs,” he said.

Government’s Commitment to Agricultural Education Reform

The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to revamping the agricultural education curriculum to make it more practical, innovative, and aligned with the country’s food security and economic diversification goals.

The reform aims to integrate value-chain development, mechanized farming, digital tools, and entrepreneurship training into agricultural studies. The goal is to produce graduates equipped not only for farming but also for agribusiness, processing, logistics, and export activities.

Dr. Alausa pointed to the Republic of Benin’s success in cotton processing as a model Nigeria could replicate.

“Benin moved from earning $500 million from raw cotton exports to $12 billion from processed 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 agenda,” he said.

Aligning Agriculture with National Priorities

Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, emphasized the need to align Nigeria’s education and training systems with its broader economic and food sovereignty priorities.

He stated that achieving national food security requires not only investments in production but also a skilled workforce trained in modern agricultural practices.

“Diversifying the economy means getting more young people involved in agricultural enterprises. Our curriculum must therefore move away from being overly theoretical to focus on innovation, technology, and practical application,” Abdullahi said.

He further noted that the reformed curriculum will help create a pipeline of skilled professionals ready to drive Nigeria’s agricultural transformation—from farm production to processing, distribution, and exports.

Driving the Future of Agriculture Through Education

The Federal Government believes that reforming agricultural education will help bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world application, creating a new generation of farmers, entrepreneurs, and innovators capable of transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.

The initiative is also expected to enhance private sector participation, attract investment in agricultural training institutions, and open new pathways for youth employment across the value chain.

As Nigeria works toward becoming a food-secure and export-oriented economy, the reform signals a strategic shift toward knowledge-driven agriculture, where science, innovation, and policy converge to power national development.

“This is not just about revising textbooks,” Alausa concluded.
“It’s about equipping our young people to feed the nation, compete globally, and create wealth through agriculture.”