Barau’s Agricultural Revolution Bill Scales Second Reading in Senate
By Pan Afric Reporters
A bill sponsored by Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, seeking to revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural sector through comprehensive reforms, food security, mechanisation and agro-industrialisation, has scaled second reading in the Senate.
The development was contained in a press release issued on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, by Ismail Mudashir, Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity.
The proposed legislation, titled A Bill for an Act to Provide a Comprehensive Legal Framework for the Transformation and Modernisation of Agriculture in Nigeria, seeks to promote food security, agricultural productivity, irrigation, financing, rural development and climate-resilient farming.
Leading the debate on the bill during plenary presided over by Senate President Godswill Obot Akpabio, Barau said the initiative was designed to reverse the decline in the agricultural sector and restore its capacity to provide essential raw materials for industries.
He described the bill as a strategic intervention to reposition agriculture and complement the Federal Government’s ongoing economic reforms.
“This is a reforming government. The government is making changes and introducing reforms across different sectors. I acknowledge that the President is doing well in pursuing reforms in various aspects of our national life,” Barau said.
He, however, stressed that national development should not be left to the President alone, insisting that the legislature and other stakeholders must contribute to the reform process.
“However, we cannot leave everything to the President alone. Government is a collaborative undertaking, and we all have a responsibility to complement what the President is doing,” he added.
Explaining the rationale behind the bill, the Deputy Senate President said, “The objective is to examine the agricultural sector, introduce the necessary changes and bring about a revolution in the sector.”
Barau further described the proposed reform as a fundamental transformation of Nigeria’s agricultural practices, expressing optimism that the bill would stimulate robust debate and attract contributions from stakeholders and experts.
Seconding the bill, Senate Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno, said its passage would establish the legal framework needed to transform agriculture and diversify the nation’s economy.
Senators Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West), Anthony Okorie Ani (Ebonyi South), a professor of Agricultural Extension, and Adeniyi Adegbonmire Ayodele (Ondo Central) also supported the bill, commending Barau for addressing critical areas of the agricultural sector.
Following the debate, Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committees on Agricultural Production Services and Rural Development, and Agricultural Colleges and Institutions, for further legislative scrutiny.
The committees were given four weeks to submit their reports to the Senate.
