The National Committee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines (NACHCARD) has voiced its concerns, urging the Nigerian government to reconsider its decision to lease lands within their institutions for food production. This appeal was made during the committee’s 65th Regular Meeting in Abuja, where they also emphasized the need for funding and support for the colleges in food production initiatives.
During the meeting, the committee welcomed the request from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) for information on available land within the colleges for food production. However, NACHCARD stressed the importance of providing financial resources and inputs to the colleges instead of leasing their lands to third parties, expressing fears of potential encroachment by land grabbers.
Furthermore, the committee recommended that the FMAFS utilize the colleges for agricultural training and the implementation of programs for farmers and extension workers. They expressed concern over the declining intake of students in agricultural colleges due to lower JAMB cutoffs for universities and the increasing number of polytechnics offering agricultural courses. NACHCARD highlighted the potential implications of this trend on the government’s efforts to promote agriculture among youths and ensure food security.
Additionally, NACHCARD called for the prompt inauguration of the board of NADFUND to expedite the emergency food security measures and advocated for increased allocation of funds to agricultural colleges at the federal and state levels. They pointed out the erroneous exclusion of these colleges from TetFund intervention since 2010, urging the government to rectify this.
The committee also raised issues regarding the exclusion of Monotechnics from the list of tertiary institutions in some government agencies’ application portals, affecting the opportunities for graduates to participate in recruitment exercises. They appealed for inter-ministerial dialogue to address this issue and ensure equitable representation for graduates of agricultural colleges.
These recommendations and concerns put forth by NACHCARD highlight the critical need to support agricultural colleges and prioritize their role in advancing food production, agricultural education, and ensuring food security in Nigeria.
