Senate advances bill to modernise Nigerian agriculture
The proposed legislation aims to strengthen food security, productivity, and climate-resilient farming practices across the nation.
Nigeria's Senate has passed a bill to establish a comprehensive legal framework for modernising the agricultural sector, moving it to the next stage of legislative review. Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau sponsored the bill, which seeks to improve food security, agricultural productivity, mechanisation, irrigation, financing, agro-industrialisation, rural development, and climate-resilient farming.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill, titled 'A Bill for an Act to Provide a Comprehensive Legal Framework for the Transformation and Modernisation of Agriculture in Nigeria,' to the Senate Committees on Agricultural Production, Services and Rural Development, and Agricultural Colleges and Institutions. These committees have four weeks to submit their reports. Barau stated that agriculture, once a major economic driver, had declined, and that Nigeria lacked effective structures to harness its potential despite possessing human and natural resources.
Senate Whip Mohammed Monguno noted that agriculture accounts for about 40 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product and provides approximately 70 per cent of employment, but budgetary allocations have been low. The bill aims to address constraints in mechanisation, agricultural financing, rural infrastructure, and post-harvest management.
Why it mattersFarmers and those involved in agricultural production will benefit from potential improvements in food security, productivity, and infrastructure.