FG calls on agric universities to develop technology for food security
By Kunle Sanni –
The federal government has urged universities and colleges of agriculture across Nigeria to intensify research and develop innovative, technology-driven solutions capable of significantly boosting the nation’s food production capacity.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari (CON), made the call during a visit to the University of Abuja, where he attended the First International Annual Conference of the National Association of Agriculture Students (NAAS).
Speaking at the event, Senator Kyari commended tertiary institutions offering agriculture-related programmes for their initiative to cultivate five hectares of farmland each for practical training and food production. He described the initiative as both a contribution to national food security and an opportunity for students to acquire hands-on skills.
The minister also toured the University’s Agricultural Learning Center — an innovation hub equipped to advance modern technologies for crop improvement, disease control, pest management, and mechanized farming. He praised the progress recorded so far and encouraged the University to expand the facility to accommodate more research activities and students.
Addressing students from the Faculty of Agriculture, Senator Kyari emphasized the vital role of emerging technologies — particularly Artificial Intelligence — in the future of farming. He noted that the next generation of agricultural professionals must harness digital tools to improve productivity and attract global investment.
“You will deploy drones to do in minutes what used to take 50 farmers a whole day,” he said. “You will design agritech solutions that will make global investors ask, ‘Where did this come from?’ And the answer will be from you — from Nigeria.”
Senator Kyari reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), to promoting innovation, mechanization, and youth-driven development in the agricultural sector.
The minister was later honoured by students for his contributions to transforming Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and supporting emerging innovators in the field.
