<b>STRENGTHENING QUALITY AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE EDUCATION IN NIGERIA AMIDST CHALLENGES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND INSECURITY IN NIGERIA</b>

This paper centered on quality agricultural science education in Nigeria amidst challenges of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Insecurity. Agriculture is central to Nigeria’s economy and food security, yet, the sector faces two pressing challenges, namely: AI and Insecurity disruptions; the duo prevents quality agricultural science education offerings to the citizenry. Quality agricultural science education system suppose to ensure farmers, youths, students, women and other agribusiness professionals adopt modern farming practices to build resilience against climate change, market fluctuations and technological disruptions but due to challenges of AI and insecurity, these are not achieved in Nigeria. The paper identified AI adoption gap in agricultural science education curriculum as one of the inhibitors to education quality; making the curriculum outdated, not aligning with modern and emerging technologies. Insecurity in forms of insurgency, banditry, terrorism, farmer-herder conflicts, kidnapping, internally displaced persons and communal conflicts reduce field work opportunities due to unsafe environments, forcing brain drain of skilled educators and students migrating from insecure regions to safer areas, reduce funding for agricultural research and innovations and reduce school enrolment and attendance due to fear of loss of lives and properties. The paper concludes that AI offers transformative opportunities but insecurity threatens the foundation of quality agricultural science education learning and practice. Nigeria must blend technology, security measures and community engagement for quality agricultural science education programs for food security and economic stability by integrating AI literacy and the resilience strategies suggested by this paper, to produce a globally competitive agricultural workforce in face of AI and insecurity challenges in Nigeria.