By Reuben Nathan Ibrahim
The Federal Government’s decision to exclude Agriculture from Nigeria’s newly approved national curriculum has triggered heated debates, with experts warning that the move could spell disaster for the country’s food security, rural development, and long-term economic stability.
Once regarded as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy, agriculture risks being sidelined in classrooms, a development analysts fear could undermine the nation’s quest for self-sufficiency and innovation in food production.
Implications of the Policy Shift
1. Agricultural Education at Risk
Declining Enrollment: Colleges and universities of agriculture may witness sharp drops in student interest, as the subject loses its foundational presence at the secondary school level.
Eroding Relevance: Institutions offering agricultural studies could struggle to justify their programs, leading to a potential decline in standards, research quality, and academic recognition.
2. Threat to Food Security
Shrinking Workforce: Excluding agriculture from the curriculum may create a shortage of skilled professionals needed to drive mechanized farming, crop science, and innovation.
Population vs. Production Gap: With Nigeria’s population projected to hit 400 million by 2050, sidelining agricultural education risks deepening the gap between food supply and demand.
3. Innovation and Competitiveness
Research Stagnation: Without curriculum recognition, research into pest control, high-yield varieties, and climate-smart farming may lose priority in funding and policy support.
Falling Behind Globally: Countries that heavily invest in agricultural education may outpace Nigeria in technology-driven farming, weakening Nigeria’s competitiveness in international markets.
4. Socioeconomic Fallout
Rural Poverty Worsens: Millions of rural dwellers depend directly on agriculture. Curtailing opportunities for modern agricultural training could entrench poverty and unemployment in these regions.
Rising Food Prices: Reduced productivity in agriculture may trigger higher food costs, hitting hardest at low-income households and worsening food insecurity nationwide.
Why Agriculture Was Removed
While the government has not issued a detailed explanation, policy watchers suggest several possible motives:
STEM Prioritization: A stronger focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics as drivers of national development.
Shift in Economic Policy: An increasing tilt towards technology, services, and industrialization, with less emphasis on traditional sectors like farming.
Budgetary Realities: Limited resources may have forced tough decisions on subject inclusion and funding priorities.
Conclusion: A Call for Balance
Excluding agriculture from the new curriculum may appear like a policy adjustment, but its long-term implications could be dire. With food inflation already biting and insecurity disrupting farming communities, critics argue that this is the worst possible time to sideline agriculture.
Nigeria needs a balanced educational framework—one that embraces STEM while also protecting agriculture’s central role in national survival and prosperity. Anything less risks plunging the nation into a future of food scarcity, economic inequality, and missed opportunities in one of humanity’s oldest yet most essential industries.
Written by Reuben Nathan Ibrahim, Adamawa State, Nigeria.
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