By Nkechi Eze
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, has reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to achieving food security and sustainability through a strengthened national food research and innovation system.
According to an official statement signed by the Head of Public Relations at ARCN, Khadijat O. Ameen, Dr. Dabban made this known during a working visit to the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), Idofian, and the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ilorin, both in Kwara State.
Commending the management and staff of the two institutes for their dedication despite sectoral challenges, Dr. Dabban emphasized their strategic role in advancing the mandate of the Council and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. He noted that agriculture remains the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and a major driver of national development, particularly under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the declared state of emergency on food security.
“We must strengthen research, training, and extension to fast-track innovation, boost productivity, and help Nigeria achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030,” Dr. Dabban stated.
He disclosed that ARCN is actively engaging with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to ensure that the agricultural research subsector benefits from its intervention programmes. The Council, he added, has also revived the review of the Conditions and Schemes of Service for the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs), in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, to enhance staff welfare, professional development, and institutional efficiency.
According to him, ongoing reforms at ARCN include the strengthening of the Monitoring and Evaluation system, updating management guidelines for NARIs and FCAs, and advocating for the upgrade of laboratories, workshops, and infrastructure across research institutions nationwide.
Dr. Dabban urged the institutes to redouble their commitment to training, research, and extension services in line with the Federal Government’s food security agenda. “Forward new research technologies developed to the Council for system-wide updates,” he charged. “Our collective responsibility is to ensure agriculture drives growth, creates jobs, and guarantees food security for our nation.”
He further explained that the Council’s push to review the conditions of service is ongoing and that separate, detailed schemes for the colleges and institutes are in progress to ensure fairness and improved productivity across the agricultural research system.
During the visit, the Executive Director of NCAM, Dr. Kamal Abdulgafar Rasheed, and the Executive Director of NSPRI, Professor Lateef Sani, both highlighted their institutions’ activities, achievements, and ongoing research programmes. They also called for increased funding, wider visibility of research outputs, and more government intervention to support their mandates.
Dr. Dabban’s visit to Kwara underscores the Federal Government’s renewed determination to empower Nigeria’s agricultural research ecosystem, accelerate innovation, and ensure that science and technology remain central to the nation’s food security and sustainability drive.
