By Ada Nkong
The need to strengthen research governance, invest in human and institutional capacity, and foster collaboration that extends nationally, regionally, and globally has been emphasized.
The Executive Secretary, Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) ,Dr Abubakar Dabban made the assertion during the flag off of the stakeholders forum on Agricultural Research Capabilities jointly concerned by ARCN and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) with the theme, “Research Capabilities in Nigeria: The Journey So Far” .
In his speech, the ES highlighted areas of strength built in Nigeria’s Agricultural Research System over the years.
“These capabilities include Human Resources, technological innovations, infrastructure, collaborative and knowledge dissemination capabilities, among others”.
“These milestones were not achieved in isolation but through strong partnerships among government, national and international research institutions, the private sector, development partners, and farming communities who remain at the center of our efforts”.
According to him, “sustaining and enhancing these capabilities, while developing new ones, is essential for delivering even greater impact”.
Dr Dabban said the forum would serve as a strategic platform to reflect, celebrate, and most importantly,envision the future of agricultural research in Nigeria.
In his lecture on the history and evolution of Agricultural Research Council in Nigeria, Dr Aliyu Madugu, Director planning, research and statistics pointed to an isolated research system, human capital shortages in terms of staffing, weak collaboration among stakeholders and inadequate government support as some of the major challenges facing the council.
The discussions at the forum are expected to provide useful insights to achieving sustainable food security.
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