By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has said that Nigeria must invest substantially in agricultural research and institutional capacity to transition from an oil-dependent economy to one driven by broad-based, sustainable growth.
He made this known at a public hearing on Monday organized by the House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institutions on 11 bills aimed at restructuring Nigeria’s agricultural framework.
Speaker Abbas said strengthening agricultural research centres would unlock vital innovations in crop production, pest control, and climate-smart farming, while expanding extension services would ensure that such innovations reach farmers at the grassroots.
“Enhanced farmer engagement will not only boost productivity but also lead to improved livelihoods, healthier soils, and rural development,” he said.
He emphasized that building institutional capacity in the sector means investing in future generations of agronomists, scientists, and policy experts who will drive Nigeria’s agricultural transformation.
“With the economy still grappling with the vulnerabilities of oil dependency, agriculture presents the most viable alternative for attaining broad-based economic resilience,” the Speaker added.
He said the establishment and expansion of agricultural research institutions across the country was not only necessary but strategically urgent.
Citing global examples, Abbas noted that countries like Brazil, Vietnam, and Israel had achieved significant agricultural transformation through consistent investment in research and development.
“Brazil’s Embrapa, for instance, reengineered an infertile savannah into a global food hub. Vietnam’s targeted reforms lifted millions out of poverty, and Israel continues to innovate in arid-zone farming through technology-driven methods,” he said.
“Nigeria, blessed with expansive arable land, a youthful farming population, indigenous knowledge systems, and an emerging tech ecosystem, stands at the cusp of replicating and even surpassing such success stories—if we act decisively,” he concluded.