IN the quest to fight hunger in the country, the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, and National Agricultural Seed Council, NASC, Wednesday, partnered to boost maize, rice, cowpeas, cassava, millet, and oil palm seed production in the six geopolitical zones.
The Minister of State Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Aliyu Abdullahi, said it has become necessary and urgent to integrate modern seed technology to counter the existential threats posed by climate change on Nigeria’s food systems, while speaking at the second day of a two-day workshop on ‘Enhancing Seed Systems for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Nigeria’, organized by the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, in collaboration with the National Agricultural Seed Council, NASC.
He said: “We are witnessing the clear and present existential threats of climate change and its impact on our local food systems,” the Minister emphasized.“It is evident that climate change is real, and it has therefore become inevitable to integrate modern seed technology to ensure sustainability and food security.
“This gathering speaks to the critical role that innovation and collaboration play in the future of our seed sector in the face of our present challenges as a nation.”However, he (Abdullahi) noted challenges in the food system; poor distribution channels, inadequate infrastructure, and widespread mistrust in the quality and health impacts of improved seeds.
Meanwhile, he acknowledged the effort by NADF for its leadership in addressing the challenges.“The National Agricultural Development Fund is commended for taking the bull by the horn in addressing critical issues hampering our agricultural development”, he said.
The Executive Secretary, NADF, Mohammed Ibrahim, explained that the six priority crops are staples in different geopolitical zones in Nigeria, and are crucial for achieving food security in the country.
“Through the Seed Systems Enhancement Programme, we aim to provide financial support to drive this transformation. This includes funding for agricultural research institutes to develop and scale breeder seeds for priority crops”, Ibrahim said.
He also assured that the Fund remains committed to its comprehensive efforts to enhance Nigeria’s seed system with focus on six priority crops, therefore, will focus on financial support to agricultural research institutes and seed companies to develop, scale, and distribute improved seed varieties.
Meanwhile, the Acting Director-General, NASC, Dr ishiak Khalid, while emphasizing the private sector’s pivotal role, lauded the government’s commitment to enacting policies that strengthen the seed sector.
“As the private sector, we need to be more organized to give life to the beautiful policies and shun any kind of circumvention that may collapse the system”, Khalid said.
The workshop ended with a collective call for action with Stakeholders emphasizing the need for robust stakeholder collaboration.
Also the participants hailed NADF for its proactive steps and pledged to support a transformative agenda that ensures sustainable agriculture and food security for Nigeria while advocating for a coordinated approach to drive innovation, improve farmer access, and rebuild trust in the seed system.
