FG announces reforms to boost food security, jobs

The Federal Government has announced sweeping reforms to modernise agricultural education as part of efforts to strengthen food security and create employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

The Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folasade Boriowo, made this known in a statement issued on Sunday, October 5, 2025.

Boriowo said the initiative, jointly driven by the Federal Ministries of Education and Agriculture and Food Security, aimed to update agricultural curricula and attract greater youth participation.

She quoted the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, during the official presentation of the new Agricultural Curriculum Framework reform, as saying that the reform was a pivotal step toward repositioning agriculture as a pillar of national development.

Alausa explained that the initiative aligned academic training with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for a technology-driven agricultural sector.

He expressed concern over the declining enrollment in agricultural programmes across tertiary institutions in spite of significant government investment in the sector.

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Alausa noted that vocational and technical agricultural training had seen increased interest among young Nigerians.

The minister stated: “Out of more than 900,000 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) applications recently received, more than 210,000 were for livestock farming alone.

“Agriculture overall ranked close to garment making, which recorded more than 260,000 applicants.

“This shows that young Nigerians are eager to gain practical agricultural skills, but the outdated tertiary curriculum has not kept pace with modern realities.”

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to updating the curriculum to meet industry needs and support economic diversification.

The Star