By Nkechi Eze
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, has urged research institutes and federal colleges of agriculture to redouble their efforts in driving agricultural transformation and ensuring national food security through research and innovation.
In an official signed statement, Head of Public Relations at ARCN, Khadijat O. Ameen, disclosed that Dr. Dabban gave the charge during a working visit to the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) in Ibadan on Thursday, 25th September 2025.
Speaking during the visit, the Executive Secretary emphasized that the directive from the Honourable Minister is for National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs) to renew their focus and prioritize all aspects of agricultural production to meet national demands. According to him, “NARIs and FCAs must reinvigorate linkages to ensure food security is achieved through their mandates.”
He commended NIHORT for its efforts and noted that arrangements were already underway to secure more funding for research projects. “We are the engine room and we shall get seen. Meetings are ongoing to sign a memorandum of understanding with TETFUND, and this visit is to ensure that we know where the institute is lagging behind so that when the funds come, they can be channeled into those areas,” Dr. Dabban stated.
On the issue of staff welfare and institutional strengthening, he revealed that talks are ongoing with the Head of Service on a new scheme of service for institutes and colleges. He added that the Council is taking deliberate measures to reinforce its monitoring and evaluation framework for the subsector. “We are in the process of updating the guidelines for the management of NARIs and FCAs to ensure they reflect current realities, promote best practices, and enhance seamless coordination across our institutions,” he explained.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of NIHORT, Professor Muhammed Lawal Atanda, briefed the delegation on progress made in horticultural crop research, stressing that the ES’s visit was a boost to the institute. He, however, called for a review of the institute’s funding pattern, noting that delays in funding often slow down critical research.
Prof. Atanda also appealed for more motivation and support from the ARCN to enable the institute achieve greater results, while commending NIHORT staff for their cooperation and dedication to duty.
The visit underscores ARCN’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the agricultural research system and ensure it delivers on its mandate of food security, innovation, and national development.
