Underfunding Threatens Agric colleges on food security

* ES ARCN speaks

The immediate past interim chairman, National Association of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines (NACHCARD), Dr. Akinyemi Fadiyu, has raised concerns on persistent underfunding of Colleges of Agriculture in Nigeria, just as the Executive Secretary ( ES) Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) promised to attract funding through Technical Education Fund (TetFund) to the Institutes.

Dr. Akinyemi Fadiyu, speaking in Abuja recently said that lack of sufficient funding to the colleges of Agriculture has hindered the training of the youths in best agronomics practices along with many other related challenges.

According to him, “Our colleges need proper funding to carry out their mandates. Without investment in training, research laboratories, demonstration farms, and staff development, we cannot prepare for the next generation of agricultural professionals."

He added that investment in agricultural education is not just about improving institutions, but also about securing Nigeria’s food future through well-established foot soldiers with the best Agricultural knowledge and practices.

He therefore urged the government agencies, the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and funding bodies like TETFund to recognize and support colleges of agriculture with the same attention given to universities and polytechnics.

“We are not just training students. We are training for the future of food in Nigeria. If we want to meet the goals of food and nutrition security, agricultural education must be prioritized with policies, funding, and national discourse."

Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary ( ES), Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubarka Adamu has reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring the inclusion of Federal Colleges of Agriculture in the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), saying that the longstanding exclusion of these institutes from this fund was not helping the development of the nation's food security system.

Dr. Adamu emphasized the urgent need to address this disparity in the disbursement of TETFund resources, noting that Federal Colleges of Agriculture have been left out of key funding opportunities for too long given their crucial role in food security.

He said "Our colleges deserve equitable access to funding, just like polytechnics and universities. We are engaging with TETFund to correct this imbalance"

The ES expressed optimism that the ongoing discussions with TETFund would yield positive results and called on relevant stakeholders to support the push for equitable funding across all tiers of tertiary education.