By Joy Odor, Abuja
The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) on Thursday staged its maiden Stakeholders’ Forum in Abuja, setting the stage for a renewed drive to reposition Nigeria’s agricultural research sector as a catalyst for food security and economic growth.
Organised in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the one-day dialogue, tagged “Research Capabilities in Nigeria: The Journey So Far”, brought together directors, provosts, research experts and policymakers to examine challenges and map strategies for stronger agricultural innovation.
Declaring the forum open, ARCN Executive Secretary, Dr. Adamu Abubakar Dabban, described the initiative as “a strategic platform to reflect, celebrate and, most importantly, envision the future of agricultural research in Nigeria.”
He stressed that without cutting-edge research and sustained collaboration, the nation’s agricultural transformation agenda would remain elusive.
Participants, including Executive Directors of National Agricultural Research Institutes (NARIs) and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs), affirmed that the forum would serve as a unifying platform to address sector-wide bottlenecks and proffer workable solutions.
They urged unions within the NARIs and FCAs to lend their voice and commitment to drive home the agenda.
Delivering a keynote, ARCN’s Director of Research Planning, Statistics and Management Information, Dr. Shuaibu Aliyu Madugu, traced the history and evolution of ARCN, offering a panoramic view of its impact and challenges in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
Prof. Michael Abberton of the IITA, in his intervention, highlighted the successes of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), showcasing global best practices, innovations, and partnerships that could be adapted to Nigeria’s peculiar realities.
The highpoint of the event was the presentation of gifts to Dr. Dabban by IITA and the Committee of Directors of Research Institutes, in recognition of his role in galvanising Nigeria’s agricultural research community.
With this maiden forum, ARCN signaled a new era of collaboration, accountability, and innovation aimed at strengthening research capacity and delivering transformative results for farmers and the wider economy.
