The Agricultural Council of Nigeria Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025, sponsored by the senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader, Comrade Abba Moro, PhD, has received presidential assent from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The bill seeks to change the name of the already established Federal College of Agricultural Technology, Ojapo-Opialu, to the Federal College of Agriculture and Technology, Ojapo-Opialu.
The bill passed its First and Second Readings on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, before progressing through the legislative and executive processes. It will be recalled that the bill establishing the Federal College of Agricultural Technology, Ojapo-Opialu, was assented to by President Tinubu in February 2025. While the former name limited the institution’s scope, the new name broadens its scope of operation.
With the latest presidential assent, the institution is set to formally operate as the Federal College of Agriculture and Technology, Ojapo-Opialu, with a mandate to train and produce self-reliant graduates in agriculture, technology and related sciences. The college is also expected to establish linkages and collaborations with policymakers, research institutes and other training institutions, while developing and managing modern livestock farms, veterinary clinics and diagnostic laboratories.
Its mandate further includes producing skilled technicians capable of carrying out routine preventive measures and providing advisory services in livestock, fisheries and crop production. The college will also promote capacity building through outreach programmes and vocational training, while creating opportunities for youth development and empowerment through entrepreneurship and agricultural activities. The presidential assent marks another step in the development of the institution and is expected to expand access to specialised agricultural and technological education in Benue South.
