A bill seeking sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, sponsored by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, on Wednesday scaled second reading in the Senate.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework for modernising agriculture, strengthening food security, boosting productivity, promoting mechanisation and irrigation, improving agricultural financing and expanding agro-industrialisation.
The bill, titled A Bill for an Act to Provide a Comprehensive Legal Framework for the Transformation and Modernisation of Agriculture in Nigeria, was debated during plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Leading the debate, Barau said the proposed legislation was designed to address longstanding challenges in the agricultural sector, introduce far-reaching reforms and reposition the country for an agricultural revolution.
He recalled Nigeria’s glorious agricultural past, noting that the sector once supplied essential raw materials to industries across the country before the collapse of production systems weakened its contribution to the economy.
Describing the administration of President Bola Tinubu as reform-oriented, the Deputy Senate President said the bill was intended to complement the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms and stimulate growth across critical sectors.
He, however, maintained that national development should not be left to the President alone, stressing that the legislature and other stakeholders had a responsibility to support government policies through appropriate interventions.
“This is a reforming government. The government is making changes and introducing reforms across different sectors. I acknowledge that the President is doing well in pursuing reforms in various aspects of our national life.
“However, we cannot leave everything to the President alone.
Government is a collaborative undertaking, and we all have a responsibility to complement what the President is doing,” he said.
Barau explained that the proposed legislation would fundamentally change the country’s approach to agriculture, adding that its consideration would provide an opportunity for stakeholders and experts to contribute ideas towards transforming the sector.
Seconding the bill, the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, said its passage would provide the legal foundation required to revolutionise agriculture and diversify Nigeria’s economy.
Also supporting the proposal were Senators Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West), Anthony Okorie Ani (Ebonyi South) and Adeniyi Adegbonmire Ayodele (Ondo Central).
Ani, a professor of Agricultural Extension, and the other lawmakers commended Barau for sponsoring the bill, describing its provisions as comprehensive and relevant to addressing critical challenges confronting the agricultural sector.
Following the debate, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committees on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, and Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, for further legislative consideration.
The committees were given four weeks to submit their reports to the Senate.