Director General of the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Hon. Fatuhu Muhammed, has called for increased adoption of certified seeds by farmers, warning that Nigeria’s food production shortfall in key staple crops is largely linked to the continued use of uncertified planting materials.
Speaking in Abuja at the opening of the 2026 Boot Camp on Plant Variety Protection and Intellectual Property for Young Nigerian Professionals, Muhammed stressed that improving seed quality is central to achieving national food security. He noted that despite Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential, output in several staple crops remains below national demand.
According to him, the gap between food production and population growth is widening at a troubling rate.
He cited paddy rice as an example, revealing that the country currently faces a deficit of about 2.9 million metric tonnes. With the population increasing daily, he said the urgency to boost productivity cannot be overstated.
Muhammed explained that the widespread failure to use certified seeds has significantly contributed to low yields across farming communities.
He urged farmers and stakeholders within the agricultural value chain to work together to close the deficit and ensure that the country can feed its growing population.
He described the boot camp as a deliberate effort to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural innovation system and enhance implementation of the Plant Variety Protection Act of 2021.
The legislation aligns with the 1991 Act of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants and is intended to safeguard the rights of plant breeders while encouraging the development of improved crop varieties.
While acknowledging that the passage of the Act marked a significant milestone, the NASC chief emphasized that laws alone are not enough.
He said meaningful results depend on capable administrators, knowledgeable legal practitioners, skilled breeders and institutions that understand both domestic responsibilities and global standards.
Muhammed reaffirmed NASC’s commitment to strengthening the Nigerian plant variety protection system through improved technical capacity, greater awareness of breeders’ rights and the establishment of a credible and transparent framework that meets international benchmarks.
He said Nigeria is building a sustainable innovation driven system rather than merely adopting an external model.
In his remarks, Registrar of the Nigerian Office for Plant Variety Protection, Dr Folarin Okelola, said the one week residential training was designed to prepare young professionals to support compliance with international obligations and drive innovation within the seed sector.
He explained that the programme equips participants with practical knowledge of plant variety protection laws and technical procedures for testing new varieties.
Okelola added that as Nigeria advances towards full membership of the international plant variety protection framework, building local expertise is essential for developing crop varieties that can withstand climate pressures and improve food availability.
He also noted that protecting breeders’ rights encourages investment and commercialisation within the seed industry.
The boot camp, organised by the Nigerian Office for Plant Variety Protection and NASC with support from global partners including the World Intellectual Property Organization, attracted more than 600 applications nationwide. Thirty participants were eventually selected through a merit driven process that ensured balance across regions and professional fields.
Organisers expressed optimism that the initiative would help establish a secure and internationally recognised system capable of drawing investment into Nigeria’s seed industry while strengthening long term food security efforts.
