The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, has reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to ensuring food sustainability through a revitalized agricultural research and innovation system.
Dr. Dabban gave the assurance during a working visit to the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), Idofian, and the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ilorin, Kwara State.
Commending the management and staff of both institutes for their dedication in the face of sectoral challenges, Dr. Dabban said the institutions play a critical role in advancing the mandate of ARCN and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.
He noted that agriculture remained a major driver of Nigeria’s economy, with greater expectations under President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the administration’s declared 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,” Dabban said.
The ARCN boss disclosed that the Council is in partnership with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to ensure that the agricultural research subsector benefits from its interventions.
He further revealed that the Council, in collaboration with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, has re-initiated the review of the Conditions and Schemes of Service for the National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) and the Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs), aimed at improving staff welfare and institutional performance.
According to him, ongoing reforms include strengthening the Monitoring and Evaluation system, updating management guidelines for NARIs and FCAs, and advocating for upgraded laboratories, workshops, and infrastructure across the institutions.
He charged the institutes to intensify efforts in research, training, 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. Our collective responsibility is to ensure agriculture drives growth, creates jobs, and guarantees food security for our nation,” he added.
Dr. Dabban also explained that the Council is developing a separate, detailed Condition of Service for agricultural colleges and research institutes to ensure improved operations and staff motivation.
In their respective remarks, the Executive Director of the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM), Dr. Kamal Abdulgafar Rasheed, and the Executive Director of the Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Prof. Lateef Sani, highlighted the achievements of their institutes while calling for more funding, policy support, and visibility for their research outputs.
