Senate Steps Down Barau’s Agricultural Revolution Bill Over Drafting Concerns, Missing Printed Copies

The Nigerian Senate has stepped down the Agricultural Revolution Bill, 2026, sponsored by Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, following concerns over its drafting, scope and the failure to distribute printed copies to lawmakers.

The proposed legislation, identified as SB. 1082, seeks to establish a legal framework for transforming and modernising Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The decision followed a heated debate during Tuesday’s plenary, where several senators questioned whether the bill was sufficiently developed and complied with the Senate’s rules on the circulation of proposed legislation.

The motion for the bill’s second reading was moved by Senate Leader, Senator Mohammed Monguno, on behalf of Barau.

Presenting the proposed legislation, Monguno described it as a necessary intervention to address food insecurity, low agricultural productivity and structural challenges affecting the sector.

He noted that although agriculture provides livelihoods for millions of Nigerians, the industry continues to struggle with inadequate mechanisation, poor irrigation infrastructure, insecurity, limited access to affordable financing and high post-harvest losses.

“These challenges have resulted in food insecurity, inflation and increased poverty in the country. There is urgent need to move from piecemeal interventions to a coordinated, sustainable legal framework for agricultural transformation,” Monguno said.

He explained that the bill was designed to move Nigeria away from subsistence farming towards modern, technology-driven and commercially viable agriculture through mechanisation, improved seeds, research, extension services, irrigation and agro-industrial development.

The proposed law also seeks to strengthen storage facilities, cold-chain infrastructure, agro-processing and market access for agricultural products.

Senator Muhammad Aliero, representing Kebbi Central, seconded the motion and described agriculture as critical to Nigeria’s economic diversification.

However, Senator Abdul Ningi, representing Bauchi Central, questioned the quality and structure of the proposed legislation, despite describing its objectives as “excellent, fantastic and timeous”.

Ningi argued that the bill appeared more like a motion than a properly developed piece of legislation and urged its sponsors to undertake further work before presenting it for consideration.

He cited Nigeria’s agricultural productivity challenges, noting that farmers in the country produced between two and three tonnes per hectare, compared with eight to 10 tonnes in some other countries.

He said improved mechanisation, research and farming practices were necessary to close the productivity gap.

While commending the Federal Government’s agreement to import agricultural machinery from Brazil, Ningi questioned whether the proposed legislation adequately addressed the institutions responsible for agricultural development.

“When you bring a bill that has agencies already in place to take care of irrigation and agricultural production, what you ought to do is first bring the bill; let’s see the bill, not something that looks like a motion,” he said.

“This bill did not say it is creating an agency; this bill did not say it is amending existing agencies. You are actually building something on nothing.”

He subsequently urged the Senate to step down the bill to allow its sponsors to improve its provisions.

“This is a brilliant idea, but a lot of work has not been done. If it is a motion, Mr President, this could be a very good motion, excellent preparatory work towards enacting a law. I believe we can stand down this bill and do a better job,” Ningi added.

The debate became more contentious when a senator raised a point of order under Order 79(1) of the Senate Standing Orders, arguing that discussions at the second-reading stage should focus on the general principles of a bill rather than its detailed provisions.

However, several lawmakers protested that they had not received printed copies of the proposed legislation, triggering a rowdy session.

“Where is the bill? Show me a copy! Show me a copy!” some senators shouted.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who presided over the plenary, intervened and directed Barau to ensure that printed copies were distributed to all lawmakers.

“Deputy Senate President, please provide copies to all senators. Forget this platform. If the platform has collapsed, how will they see it?” Akpabio ruled.

Responding, Monguno maintained that the bill had been gazetted, uploaded to the Senate’s digital platform and circulated to senators’ offices.

He argued that the digital platform was part of the Senate’s agreed legislative process and that lawmakers were expected to familiarise themselves with proposed legislation before plenary consideration.

Another strong objection came from Senator Yahaya Abdullahi, representing Kebbi North, a professor of agricultural economics and former head of department in the discipline.

Abdullahi questioned the attempt to regulate the entire agricultural sector through one broad piece of legislation, arguing that its different components required separate and targeted laws.

“Agriculture is too wide and omnibus a human endeavour for it to be covered effectively and efficiently under a single bill,” he said.

He maintained that issues such as agricultural subsidies, mechanisation and irrigation required specific legislative interventions rather than a blanket legal framework.

Warning against passing poorly drafted legislation, Abdullahi said: “Laws are made to guide policy and implementation of programmes; they are not just nebulous presentations. Once you go there and make a law, of course it will be a law, but if it’s a bad law, it will stay like that forever.”

He urged lawmakers to identify specific challenges within the agricultural sector that required legislative intervention and address them individually.

“If we are serious about developing agriculture, let us look into the content of our agriculture and identify those areas of constraints where legislation is required and address those particular areas,” he said.

Monguno, however, defended the bill, maintaining that the second-reading stage was intended to examine its general principles, while detailed scrutiny would take place at subsequent legislative stages.

He also defended the use of the Senate’s digital platform but conceded that the necessary procedures could be completed before the bill was reintroduced.

The disagreement intensified when another senator accused the Senate Leader of attempting to intimidate colleagues by invoking his leadership position, insisting that lawmakers were entitled to express their views freely.

The matter was eventually resolved after a ranking senator cited Section 3 of the Senate Rules, which provides that a printed copy of a bill should, as soon as possible, be sent to every senator.

The senator argued that the provision expressly required the distribution of printed copies and did not identify the digital platform as a substitute.

Following the objections, Barau withdrew the bill and promised to comply with the Senate’s rules.

“So it has been withdrawn until it is given to him. Since that’s what you want, I will get it done. Forget about the fact that it has been placed on the platform. As we agreed, we are going to give you and give others who have not gotten it. We will comply with the rules,” Barau said.

He added, “I am the Deputy Senate President. I will always want to please anyone to the best of my ability.”

Akpabio subsequently acknowledged the withdrawal and confirmed that the bill had been stepped down.

The proposed legislation may return to the Senate after the required procedures, including the distribution of printed copies to lawmakers, have been completed.