The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed for the second reading, a bill seeking to amend the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, by expanding its mandate to establish specialised training institutions across the country to deepen national agricultural productivity capacity.

The proposed legislation titled, ?Bill for an Act to Amend the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria Act, Cap. A12, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, to Provide for the Establishment of Certain Specialised Colleges; and for Other Related Matters,? is sponsored by the Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and six others.

Leading the debate on its general principles of the bill, the Deputy Speaker noted that agriculture remains a vital part of Nigeria?s economy and a key driver of rural development, job creation, food security, and national Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Kalu said the nation continues to face glaring gaps in research and innovation, especially in regions where unique agricultural potential remains untapped due to the absence of tailored educational institutions.

Th deputy speaker said the bill seeks to bridge the gap, saying the amendment will not simply be increasing institutions, but will serve as an investment in untapped potential, and empowerment of those whose hands feed the nation.

The lawmaker expressed optimism that when the bill becomes law, it will lead to stronger agricultural research ecosystem; more employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for Nigerians; greater food security and overall economic growth.

He said, ?This is not merely to introduce a legislative proposal, but to lay before this People?s House a vision ? a vision to take agricultural education into the fabric of our national development strategy and effort. A vision that recognises that research and innovation must not remain in silos or city centres, but must live where the land is tilled, where the livestock roam, where the rivers run.

?Through this amendment, we are not simply adding institutions ? we are answering a national call -a call to invest where there is untapped potential, to empower those whose hands feed the nation, and to deepen our national agricultural productivity capacity by expanding the mandate and reach of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria through the establishment of specialised training institutions in various parts of our great nation by establishing certain specialised agricultural colleges in strategic locations across the six geo-political zones.?

He further explained that the bill seeks to amend the Third Schedule of the Principal Act to provide for the establishment of specialised colleges of agriculture, among them, Federal College of Veterinary and Medical Laboratory Technology, Bende, Abia State; Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Takum, Adamawa State; Federal College of Land Resources Technology, Ikole Ekiti, Ekiti State and Federal College of Freshwater Fisheries Technology, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.

Others are Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Dange Shuni, Sokoto State and Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology, Olamaboro, Kogi State. (LEADERSHIP)

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