ARCN Pushes for Full Implementation of Amended Act to Strengthen Nigeria’s Agricultural Research System
By: Elizabeth Atte
The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) has reaffirmed its commitment to the full implementation of the ARCN (Amended) Act 2021, with the aim of repositioning Nigeria’s agricultural research and innovation system for greater impact and sustainability.
The ARCN (Amended) Act 2021 was enacted to reform and strengthen the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria’s mandate in coordinating and regulating agricultural research activities across the country. The amended law expands ARCN’s oversight over National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs), Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs), and other related institutions, empowering it to ensure strategic planning, efficiency, and accountability within the research system. It also provides a legal framework for enhancing institutional governance, driving innovation, and aligning research outputs with national agricultural priorities and global best practices.
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Speaking at the Maiden National Stakeholders’ Forum on Agricultural Research Capabilities held in Abuja, the Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, emphasized the importance of institutional reforms and capacity enhancement in transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Dr. Dabban, who described the forum as “catalytic,” said:
“It offers us an opportunity to take stock of our achievements, identify gaps, and set a forward-looking agenda anchored on the full implementation of the amended ARCN Act, which provides a renewed legal and strategic framework for Nigeria’s agricultural research ecosystem.”
The ARCN (Amended) Act 2021, signed into law to reform and reposition the Council, mandates ARCN to coordinate, supervise, and regulate the activities of National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs), Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs), and other related institutions under its purview. The Act empowers the Council to drive strategic planning, institutional efficiency, and results-based research management.
Dr. Dabban explained that, as part of its renewed commitment to the full implementation of the Act, the Council has already initiated key actions and commenced engagements with stakeholders to advance priority areas.
These priorities include “Development of the second-generation Strategic and Operational Plans for the ARCN; Revisiting the development of the Conditions and Schemes of Service for the ARCN, NARIs, and FCAs; Re-examining the report of the Ministerial Committee on the Implementation of the ARCN (Amended) Act 2021 to ensure full execution; Immediate review and update of the Guidelines for Management of NARIs and FCAs (2009).
“These reforms are essential to ensuring that our institutions are not only compliant with the provisions of the amended Act but are also positioned to deliver research that is responsive to national needs, climate-smart, and globally competitive,” Dr. Dabban added.
The forum, organized in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the Committee of Directors of Research Institutes (CODRI), and the National Committee of Heads of Colleges of Agriculture and Related Disciplines (NACHCARD), brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, development partners, researchers, academia, and farmers’ organizations.
With the theme “Research Capabilities in Nigeria: The Journey So Far,” the forum sought to assess Nigeria’s agricultural research progress, celebrate achievements, and build consensus on future priority actions.
In their separate goodwill messages, the CODRI representative, Prof. Atanda; the Research Institutes representative, Dr. Lelia Dongo; and the Colleges of Agriculture representative, Dr. Adekok Raji, described the forum as a step in the right direction. They also called for collaborative action to strengthen Nigeria’s National Agricultural Research System (NARS) by aligning research outcomes with food security, rural development, and climate resilience goals.
Participants lauded ARCN’s leadership and expressed strong support for the full operationalization of the amended Act, noting that it would address long-standing structural and governance challenges in the research system. Stakeholders further emphasized the need for increased investment in infrastructure, talent development, and partnerships to scale up innovations from lab to land.
