The Senate on Tuesday stepped down the Agricultural Revolution Bill, 2026, sponsored by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau.

The development followed objections by some lawmakers over its scope and the circulation of copies to senators.

The ​‌⁠​‍‍⁠⁠‍‌⁠​⁠​⁠​‍‌​bill, which seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework for transforming and modernising Nigeria’s agricultural sector, was stood down after a disagreement over whether lawmakers had received copies of the proposed legislation.

Mr Barau, who represents Kano North in the upper chamber, moved the motion for the bill’s second reading, saying it would address challenges such as low productivity, inadequate mechanisation, limited irrigation infrastructure, post-harvest losses, poor access to financing, and insecurity in farming communities.

He said the proposed legislation would reposition agriculture from predominantly subsistence production to a modern, technology-driven, and commercially viable sector.

According to him, the bill would promote mechanisation, irrigation development, improved seeds, agricultural research, extension services, and the adoption of modern farming technologies.

He said it also sought to strengthen agricultural value chains through investments in storage facilities, cold-chain infrastructure, agro-processing, commodity markets, and links between farmers and industrial consumers.

Mr Barau said the legislation would support smallholder farmers, women, and young people while promoting climate-resilient farming practices and improved coordination across all tiers of government.

He urged his colleagues to support the bill, saying a productive agricultural sector could reduce food price pressures, create rural employment, strengthen local industries, and conserve foreign exchange.

The bill was seconded by Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central Senatorial District, who described it as timely, given the need to diversify the Nigerian economy.

Mr Aliero said agriculture remained critical to economic diversification but was still largely practised at subsistence level, adding that the country needed to embrace commercial farming.

He also identified inadequate mechanisation and low crop yields as major challenges requiring investment in agricultural equipment, research, and development.

However, Abdul Ningi, the senator representing Bauchi Central, questioned the structure of the proposed legislation, arguing that it appeared to cover areas already handled by existing agricultural agencies.

Mr Ningi described the idea behind the bill as commendable but said more work was needed to clarify its objectives and how it would relate to existing institutions.

He argued that the proposal did not clearly state whether it intended to establish a new agency or amend the mandates of the existing ones.

“This is a brilliant idea, but a lot of work has not been done to capture what the deputy senate president intends to achieve,” he said.

Mr Ningi urged the Senate to step down the bill to allow for further work and clarification.

Mr Barau, however, invoked Order 79(1) of the Senate Standing Orders, arguing that lawmakers were expected to consider the general principles of the bill at second reading rather than examining its detailed provisions.

He said the bill had been gazetted and uploaded to the Senate platform, adding that its specific provisions could be examined during the committee stage.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio initially said that lawmakers should confine their contributions to the merits and demerits of the proposed legislation.

He subsequently suggested that the bill be stood down until senators receive copies.

Mr Ningi then cited Order 77(3) and (4), which he said required printed copies of bills to be forwarded to every senator as soon as possible.

The point of order was upheld by the Senate president.

Yahaya Abdulahi, representing Kebbi North Senatorial District, also questioned the debate and the proposal, saying it did not provide a single legal framework covering the entire agricultural sector.

Mr Abdullahi, who said he had taught agriculture at a university for more than 25 years before joining the Senate, argued that agriculture was too broad to be effectively regulated under one omnibus law.

He said areas such as subsidies, mechanisation, and irrigation required specific legislative attention.

“There is nowhere, anywhere in the world that I have seen, with my limited knowledge, where you take agriculture as a whole and provide it with a legal cover,” he said.

Mr Yahaya said lawmakers should identify specific constraints in the agricultural sector and develop legislation to address them rather than attempting to cover the entire sector under one law.

He added that senators needed to examine the provisions of the proposed legislation to understand the areas it intended to address.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele said the upper chamber had agreed that bills should be gazetted and uploaded to its platform before consideration.

He explained that printed copies were usually distributed during clause-by-clause consideration, while second reading focused on the general principles of a bill.

Mr Bamidele, however, said if the bill had not been gazetted, Mr Barau should be encouraged to withdraw it.

Following the disagreement, Mr Barau said he was willing to provide printed copies to senators and redistribute the bill before presenting it again.

The bill was subsequently stepped down, pending the distribution of copies to the senators. 

(NAN)