The Senate has advanced a proposed legislation seeking a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s agricultural sector, with lawmakers backing reforms aimed at boosting food production, expanding mechanised farming and strengthening the country’s food security.
The bill, sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, scaled second reading during Wednesday’s plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
Titled A Bill for an Act to Provide a Comprehensive Legal Framework for the Transformation and Modernisation of Agriculture in Nigeria, the proposed legislation seeks to establish a legal framework for agricultural productivity, mechanisation, irrigation, financing, agro-industrialisation, rural development and climate-resilient farming.
Leading the debate, Barau said Nigeria needed to move away from its current agricultural trajectory through fundamental reforms capable of restoring the sector’s contribution to the national economy.
He recalled the period when agriculture served as a major source of raw materials for industries across the country, lamenting that the collapse of agricultural production systems had weakened the sector and reduced its economic relevance.
The Deputy Senate President said the proposed legislation was designed to complement the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms by introducing far-reaching changes to agricultural production and development.
He stressed that national development should not be left to the President alone, insisting that the legislature and other stakeholders must contribute to the country’s economic transformation.
According to him, the bill is expected to stimulate discussions and attract contributions from experts and stakeholders towards developing a sustainable agricultural framework.
Seconding the bill, the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, said its passage would provide the necessary legal foundation for transforming agriculture and diversifying Nigeria’s economy.
Contributing to the debate, Senators Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West), Anthony Okorie Ani (Ebonyi South) and Adeniyi Adegbonmire Ayodele (Ondo Central) also supported the proposed legislation.
The lawmakers commended Barau for the initiative, describing the bill as comprehensive in its approach to addressing critical challenges confronting the agricultural sector.
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Following its consideration, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committees on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, and Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, for further legislative scrutiny.
The committees were given four weeks to complete their assignment and report back to the Senate.
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