Food Security: FG Moves to Reposition Research Institutes

James Emejo

The Minister of Agricultural and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar yesterday inaugurated a committee for the implementation of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) Amendment Act, 2021, in a bid to totally reposition the council and its affiliated institutes and colleges to ensure better performance, impactful research and development activities in the country.

The minister said agricultural research and development remained a crucial determinant of agricultural productivity and production as well as boosting food security. 

Abubakar, at the inauguration reiterated the commitment of President Mohammadu Buhari’s administration towards advancing research and development activities for the effective and efficient use of agricultural resources and the diversification of the economy.

He said the government is focused on strengthening the coordination of research and development activities within the sector to create a single comprehensive governing board for the ARCN and its related Institutes and colleges for effective management, streamlining and economic purposes.

The minister said, “ The council and its affiliated institutes and colleges should be encouraged to implement technologies to increase the nutrient density of commercial and staple crops through good agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, or modern biotechnology.”

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, stated the ministry’s responsibility in the newly amended legislative instrument, is to ensure that all ARCN activities are functional in line with the Act in terms of human management, material resources, policies, strategies, diffusion and commercialization of agricultural technologies.

He said, “Agriculture has been and still remains a major focus for engaging individuals and relevant corporate sector entities in Agribusiness, to support value chain addition to other commodities, production of adequate food for the teeming population and a major contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)”. 

Umakhihe maintained that the amended  Act is also intended to attain a self-sufficient position in the production and use of made-in-Nigeria agricultural machinery, tools and other inputs for food production and economic empowerment. 

He urged all members of the committee to be dispassionate in aligning  their decisions with the salient contents of the Amended ARCN Act in order to come out with good recommendations for the enhancement  of the entire Agricultural Research ecosystem.

Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Bala Abubakar, in his response stated that the reform process that led to the amended Act commenced in 2012 after a team of staff of the council, the ministry and other stakeholders undertook a guided tour to Brazil, India, China to understudy global best practice in agricultural research models. 

He said the comprehensive back-to -station report provided the key ingredients of the draft ARCN amendment bill which was eventually assented  to by Buhari in September 2021, adding that there is an urgent need to constitute panels that would extensively review the activities of all institutions of the reformed ARCN.

He promised that the committee will deliver on the assignment to the best of its ability.