The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has called for a stronger Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system to develop the skilled workforce needed to accelerate Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
The Council made the call at the Nigeria TVET Landscape and Project Presentation Stakeholder Workshop held on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, where it stressed the need to equip young Nigerians and agricultural professionals with practical skills capable of translating research and innovation into sustainable economic opportunities.
Representing the Executive Secretary of ARCN, the Director, TVET and Agricultural Awarding Body, Mr. Husseni Gbogbon Dabban, delivered the Executive Secretary’s welcome address at the workshop.
The Executive Secretary said agricultural transformation required more than research and innovation, noting that the sector also depended on well-trained technicians, technologists, entrepreneurs and other skilled professionals capable of converting knowledge and technologies into practical solutions.
He called for stronger agricultural institutions and training programmes focused on competency-based education, digital agriculture, mechanisation, agro-processing, biotechnology, climate-smart agriculture, agribusiness and entrepreneurship.
The workshop brought together government institutions, development partners, academia, agricultural colleges and industry stakeholders to examine Nigeria’s TVET landscape, identify existing gaps and opportunities, and develop practical recommendations for repositioning the sector.
ARCN also emphasised the need for stronger linkages among research, innovation, training, extension and commercialisation to ensure that agricultural innovations move beyond laboratories and reach farmers, processors, entrepreneurs and other end users.
The Council commended WUSC and CICan for facilitating the engagement, expressing hope that the discussions would produce practical and measurable outcomes in skills development, employability, entrepreneurship and agricultural productivity.
ARCN reaffirmed its commitment to developing a skilled workforce capable of supporting a more productive, competitive and sustainable agricultural sector in Nigeria.
