The Federal Government has commenced a comprehensive review of agricultural curricula in polytechnics and colleges of education to address widening skills gaps and revive youth interest in agriculture.

The Chairman of the Agriculture Curriculum Review Implementation Committee, Prof.

Idris Bugaje, disclosed this at a two-day national workshop on agricultural curriculum review on Monday in Abuja.

Bugaje, who is also the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), said many agricultural programmes had remained unchanged for more than 15 years.

He said the outdated curricula had become unattractive to young Nigerians and misaligned with industry needs.

According to him, the review will cover all 33 National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) agricultural curricula, alongside more than 32 National Occupational Standards.

Bugaje said past funding for curriculum review was grossly inadequate.

He noted that about N50 million was previously allocated annually to review over 320 curricula and more than 100 occupational standards nationwide.

“The work before this committee is critical because agriculture remains the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.

“It employs a large number of Nigerians and contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“Unfortunately, admissions into agricultural programmes have been declining because the curricula are no longer attractive or responsive to current realities,” he said.

Bugaje added that the review would prioritise practical, industry-driven training rather than purely academic content.

He said private sector participation would be strengthened to ensure graduates acquire relevant skills aligned with modern agriculture and global best practices.

The NBTE boss said four thematic groups covering crops and agronomy, livestock, fisheries, and forestry would develop implementation timelines.

He added that the groups would also recommend industry resource persons for the exercise.

Bugaje noted that undergraduate agricultural programmes under the National Universities Commission (NUC) would not be reviewed immediately.

He said this was in line with the commission’s five-year curriculum review cycle.

He added that the exercise would instead focus on programmes supervised by NBTE and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

Bugaje commended the Ministers of Education, the Minister of State for Agriculture, and the Minister of Livestock Development for their collaboration.

He said their efforts facilitated the establishment of the committee.

The Executive Secretary of NCCE, Dr. Angela Ajala, said Nigeria must urgently shift agricultural education from theory to hands-on practice.

Ajala said this was necessary to address manpower shortages in extension services and specialised farm operations.

She said the decline in trained agricultural extension officers and technical experts underscored the need for a forward-looking curriculum.

“If Nigeria must secure its agricultural future, training must move from classroom theory to practical competence,” she said.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Dabban, said the council was committed to producing industry-ready graduates.

Dabban, represented by Dr. Oluwafemi Salako, Director of the Plant Resources Department, said the council would provide technical support for the exercise.

He said ARCN supervised 19 national agricultural research institutes and 17 federal colleges of agriculture.

He added that the council would strengthen research, training, and extension linkages.

An international expert representing the Sector Skills Council for Agriculture, Pascal Durand-Carrier, said ongoing skills-gap surveys would support the review.

Durand-Carrier said the surveys were being conducted in collaboration with international partners.

He said the effort would help align training with labour market demands and strengthen collaboration between academia and industry.

Participants at the workshop expressed optimism that the review would produce modern, market-driven curricula.

They said the outcome would attract young Nigerians to agriculture and enhance national food security. 

FirstBank has confirmed its sponsorship of the Global Trade Review (GTR) West Africa 2026 conference scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Lagos.

The event will be held at Eko Hotel and Suites, convening stakeholders across West Africa’s trade and finance ecosystem.

No fewer than 450 delegates from 200 companies and 15 countries are expected, with 45 speakers leading discussions and knowledge-sharing sessions.

The conference will offer actionable insights and forward-looking analysis on regional trade, covering agribusiness, commodities, risk mitigation and infrastructure development.

Olayinka Ijabiyi, Acting Group Head, Marketing and Corporate Communications, said: “FirstBank remains committed to driving trade and investment across sub-Saharan Africa.

“We leverage our presence across six West African subsidiaries to enhance business growth and strengthen regional trade integration.”

Ijabiyi noted that adopting platforms such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System had improved transaction efficiency across African markets.

“PAPSS supports SMEs and corporates while boosting competitiveness across the continent,” he said.

Speakers include economic analysts and industry leaders such as Nneka Korley-Ndahi, Oluseye Thomas, Queenette Durosinmi-Etti, Adesanmi Adedayo, Innocent Isichei and Karim Ezzeddine.

Ijabiyi said the sponsorship underscored FirstBanks’s commitment to stimulating economic growth and strengthening trade capabilities across West Africa.

He added that the bank’s participation aligned with its goal of positioning itself as a thought leader in regional trade and finance. (NAN)

By David Torough, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed it will pursue the arrest of individuals behind the fabrication of a fake X (formerly Twitter) account allegedly linked to its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, following a detailed forensic investigation that exonerated him.

This follows weeks of online controversy sparked by viral screenshots claiming the INEC chairman operated an X account (@joashamupitan) and made a partisan post, “Victory is sure,” purportedly in response to another user.

The allegations escalated after additional screenshots circulated on social media, purporting to show emails, phone numbers, BVN records and data breach links tying the professor to the account, claims that were widely shared across platforms before being subjected to verification.

In the statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, on Monday the commission warned against spreading unverified social media content.

According to a comprehensive independent forensic and cybersecurity investigation commissioned by INEC, the claims were “fabricated, technically impossible and part of a coordinated disinformation campaign.”

The report, which relied on X platform data analysis, OSINT tools, internet archive records and timestamp verification, concluded that Prof. Amupitan “does not operate any personal X account.”

A key section of the findings stated, “The X account attributed to Prof. Amupitan is a clear case of impersonation. All alleged posts, replies or statements linked to him are fraudulent and unverifiable.”

The investigation further revealed that the disputed account was created in September 2022 but had no linkage to the professor’s known email or official institutional contacts.

One of the most critical findings centred on timestamp analysis of the viral post.

The report stated, “The alleged reply ‘Victory is sure’ was posted 13 minutes before the original post it responded to. This is physically impossible on any digital platform.”

Investigators also confirmed that the supposed reply does not exist on the live X platform or in any archived version, adding, “The reply has never existed on X. It is absent from both live threads and historical records.”

“The Internet Archive (Wayback Machine) reportedly showed no trace of the account or any activity attributed to it before April 2026.

The report also uncovered what it described as a “deliberate impersonation pattern.”

It noted that on the same day the screenshots went viral, the disputed account was renamed from @joashamupitan to @sundayvibe00, set to private, and tagged as a “Parody Account”

Investigators said this sudden change strongly suggested an attempt to erase digital traces.

“The renaming and ‘parody’ label is consistent with damage-control by an impersonator,” the report stated.

At least seven fake social media accounts across Facebook and Instagram were also linked to similar identity misuse, reinforcing what investigators described as a “multi-platform coordinated impersonation effort.”

The report also debunked claims that the account was tied to Prof. Amupitan through email, phone number or BVN records.

While confirming that the professor’s phone number is validly registered, the investigators stressed, “A phone number appearing in BVN records does not establish ownership of a social media account. There is no technical linkage between the X account and the phone number or email address.”

It added that multiple recovery attempts through X platform verification tools failed to connect the account to any official identity belonging to the INEC chairman.

INEC said the matter has now been referred to law enforcement agencies for investigation and prosecution under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act.

The statement read in part, “The forensic evidence is comprehensive, multi-sourced and unambiguous. The posts attributed to Prof. Amupitan are fabricated. The account is a clear case of impersonation.

”The public is advised to refrain from sharing or amplifying unverified screenshots. Media organisations must apply strict verification standards before publication.”

INEC also urged social media platforms such as X, Meta and Instagram to strengthen rapid response mechanisms to tackle impersonation of public officials.

The commission reaffirmed that Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan does not operate any personal social media accounts and that all official communications will continue to be issued through verified INEC channels only.

“Any account purporting to represent the INEC Chairman should be treated as fraudulent unless confirmed through official sources,” the statement added.