By Stephen Ekuerarhe
The Delta State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), in partnership with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has taken a significant step toward reviving agricultural education in schools with the launch of a one-day sensitisation exercise in Asaba. The programme targets stakeholders in public primary and junior secondary schools under the 2024 Agricultural Education Training Programme (AETP).
Speaking at the event, Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Hon. Samuel Mariere, highlighted the urgent need to reintroduce agriculture as a core part of early education. “We’re returning to our roots,” he declared. “Oil has dominated for too long while agriculture—the bedrock of our economy—was neglected. Now, we’re going back to the basics, and that starts with the child.”
Mariere recalled a time when pupils in schools tended personal farm beds, cultivating vegetables and learning firsthand about food production. “Imagine every child growing pepper or tomatoes at home. That alone could feed a family. That’s the vision we’re working toward,” he explained.
The AETP, according to him, is structured in phases, with 60 public primary and junior secondary schools selected to participate in this year’s edition. These schools will receive agricultural starter packs, including tools such as cutlasses, hoes, shovels, spades, rakes, and wheelbarrows. They will also be provided with planting materials like cassava stems, plantain suckers, groundnut seeds, and fertilizers.
Funding will be provided to support land preparation and planting activities, while participating schools will also benefit from field excursions to established farms across the state. “This is not just a seminar,” Mariere noted. “It’s a practical, hands-on initiative designed to make agriculture a lived experience for our students.”
He added that the programme, which began in 2019, grows each year. “Every year, new schools join, and those previously enrolled continue building on what they started. Some have even returned with bags of maize harvested through the initiative. That’s real progress,” he said, revealing that fish farming has also been introduced as a key component.
Flanked by board members, Permanent Secretary Sir Byron Unini, State Coordinator Mrs. Sharon Dafiluelo, and Director of Academic Services, the SUBEB boss described AETP as a transformative strategy aimed at blending academic knowledge with practical skills that can foster self-reliance and entrepreneurship.
He urged all participating schools to adhere strictly to the programme’s guidelines to ensure its success and sustainability across Delta.
Earlier in her welcome address, Mrs. Okpeh Fransisca, Director of Academic Services, underscored the importance of agriculture in national development. She noted that AETP empowers young learners with life skills, promotes self-employment, and reinforces the value of labour. “This programme is growing every year. Our goal is for every school to eventually run its own farm,” she stated.
Participants praised the initiative and pledged their collective support for the sustainability of school farms and agricultural learning throughout the state.
