The Federal Government has unveiled 39 reviewed and newly developed agricultural curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards, alongside a new training model that allocates 80 per cent of instruction to practical learning and 20 per cent to theory. The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the reforms at…...
The Federal Government has unveiled 39 reviewed and newly developed agricultural curricula and 31 National Occupational Standards, alongside a new training model that allocates 80 per cent of instruction to practical learning and 20 per cent to theory.
The Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, announced the reforms at the launch held at the UBEC Digital Resource Centre in Abuja, saying they were designed to improve food security, boost agricultural productivity and create employment opportunities for young Nigerians.
According to a statement+ by the Federal Ministry of Education, the curricula comprise 32 reviewed programmes and seven newly developed ones, covering National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND) and relevant Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) agricultural programmes.
Alausa said the initiative was aimed at bridging the gap between education and industry by equipping students with practical skills needed to improve agricultural production and establish sustainable agribusinesses.
He described the reform as “a strategic investment in human capital development”, stressing that Nigeria needed a skilled workforce capable of adopting modern agricultural technologies and responding to the sector’s changing demands.
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Under the new training model, institutions are expected to prioritise hands-on learning through teaching farms, greenhouses, processing facilities and agricultural technology hubs.
The programmes also introduce emerging areas such as precision agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, artificial insemination and agribusiness to prepare graduates for employment and entrepreneurship.
The ministry said the reform process began in 2025 through collaboration among the Federal Ministries of Education, Agriculture and Food Security, and Livestock Development, as well as regulatory agencies, educational institutions, curriculum experts and industry stakeholders.
The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) also collaborated on the development of standards covering agricultural programmes in teacher-training institutions.
Alausa said the success of the initiative would be measured by graduates’ practical competence, improved agricultural output, increased employment and their contributions to national food security.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha, who also spoke at the event, commended the reforms, describing them as a major step towards practical, industry-driven agricultural education.
Maiha highlighted the role of livestock in food and nutrition security, employment, industrial growth and exports. He cited the Middle East red meat market, valued at about $3.2 billion, as an opportunity for Nigeria, but said the country’s ability to compete was limited by an inadequately organised sector and a shortage of practical expertise.
He urged educational institutions to establish functional farms, adopt digital and climate-smart practices, and improve access to skills, technology, finance and markets.
Maiha also called for practical training facilities to be made central to institutional accreditation.
Earlier, the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Said Ahmad, said the initiative marked a milestone in repositioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and aligning education with labour-market needs.
She called on regulatory agencies, institutions and industry partners to support implementation by providing qualified instructors, adequate equipment, functional workshops and continuous professional development.
Ahmad also advocated stronger partnerships with industry to expand apprenticeships, industrial attachments and workplace learning, with equitable opportunities for women, persons with disabilities and young people from underserved communities.
The education minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to working with relevant ministries, regulatory agencies and industry partners to ensure the reforms translate into improved agricultural skills, productivity and employment nationwide.