Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, has emphasized the need for more specialized agricultural institutions to accelerate the federal government’s drive for food security, mechanized farming, and economic diversification.
Speaking at a public hearing on 9 agriculture-related bills, Abbas who was represented by the Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, noted that the establishment of additional institutions would provide innovative and research-based solutions to address the nation’s high cost of food items. Three of the bills seek to amend the Federal Universities of Agriculture Act 2010 to establish new universities in Oyo, Delta, and Enugu States, while six bills aim to amend the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, 2004, to establish agricultural colleges and institutes in Ekiti, Bauchi, Enugu, Delta, Nasarawa, and Ogun States.
The Speaker encouraged stakeholders to make valuable contributions to enhance the bills and ensure the nation’s quest for food sufficiency and socio-economic development. He emphasized the importance of public hearings in shaping laws that reflect the feelings and aspirations of stakeholders and the public.
With nine agricultural-related bills under consideration, the Speaker urged commitment from stakeholders to make the public hearing a success and contribute to the development of robust agricultural institutions that drive food security and economic growth.
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