‘PARTNERS MEETING’ ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PLANT VARIETY PROTECTION (PVP) LAW IN NIGERIA, HELD AT NASC HEADQUARTERS, KM 29, ABUJA-LOKOJA EXPRESSWAY, SHEDA, FCT

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Nigeria through the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) is in the process of developing legislation for the protection of new plant variety. To this end, a draft law for Nigeria was received from the International Union for the Protection of new Plant Variety (UPOV) for domestication and adoption. The draft document has since undergone review and validation process and consequently approved and validated as a working document for the country by stakeholders.

In pursing this noble objective, NASC recognizes the role of stakeholders and collaborating agencies towards the realization of this goal and this has led to organizing a Partners’ meeting to review the progress so far; which was held on February 7th, 2019 at the NASC Headquarters, Sheda, FCT.

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SCORE-CARD PROGRAMME with DG

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SCORE-CARD PROGRAMME with DG NASC will be aired tomorrow 22nd of September, 2018 from 12:30pm to 1:00pm on Network Service of Radio Nigeria (FRCN). Thank you.

SEEDCONNECT AFRICA CONFERENCE AND EXPO 2018

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The National Agricultural Seeds Council organized a 2-day conference tagged “SeedConnect Conference and Africa Expo 2018” which was held at Rockview Hotel (Royale), Abuja, from June 5th – 6th, 2018.

The conference with the theme, “The Nigerian Seed Industry: Evaluating the Seed Sector and Developing a Sustainable Framework to Bolster the Growth of the Seed Industry” had in attendance the Chief Audu Ogbeh, Honourable Minister of Agric; Board Members of NASC; His Excellency Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Governor of Kebbi State; Members of the National Assembly; His Excellency Nadav Goren, Deputy Ambassador, Israel Embassy; International Partners; over 300 participants from Netherlands, Senegal, Cote D’Ivoire, Switzerland, and others, with over 26 companies showcasing their products.

The Director General, Dr.  Phillip Ojo revealed that Nigeria seed sector is capable of generating N2.22 trillion in three years if potentials of the sector can be well harnessed. He said it will require 10,355 metric tons of Early Generation Seeds (EGS) to produce 918, 743 metric tons of Certified Seeds which will in turn produce 103, 079, 253 metric tons of food from 46, 250, 733 hectares for the next three years. This according to him will in turn add N2.2227 trillion to the economy and employ 18,500,293 farm families along agricultural value chains.

Narrating the achievement of the Council within the last few years, the Director General said efforts of the Council has yielded a lot of positive results notably the increased private sector participation in the industry between 2012 to 2016. “To this end the number of accredited seed entrepreneurs in Nigeria rose from 36 in 2010 to 157 in 2016 making Nigeria the leading seed industry in West and Central Africa and over 200 applications at various stages of approval /accreditation.

 

 

 

NASC, PERL-DFID AGRICULTURAL SEEDS MEDIA DIALOGUE

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The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) had a one-day Agricultural Seeds Media Dialogue at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja on May 31st, 2018. The aim of the dialogue is to forge a strong and formidable partnership with the media in the renewed campaign of the Council to establish a market-driven seed industry for the production and distribution of high quality seeds and improved planting materials, accessible and affordable to farmers in Nigeria.

Speaking at the meeting, organized by Partnership to Engage, Reform and Learn (PERL-DFID), in collaboration with the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), in Abuja, the Director General, Dr. Phillip Olusegun Ojo, represented by Mr. Khalid Ishiak (Director, Seed Certification and Quality Control), reiterated that partnering with the media to ensure not only the availability, but also of accessibility and affordability of  quality seeds to farmers in the country, had become absolutely necessary to grow the sector and move the Nigerian economy forward.

While expressing delight about the maiden edition of the Agricultural Seeds Media Dialogue, the Director General remarked that “NASC as the agency responsible for the regulation of the Nigeria seed industry, is empowered by the Seeds Act of 1992 with the main objective of ensuring the availability of quality seeds to farmers through effective regulation of players in the seed sector”.

He stressed the importance of quality seeds delivery, disclosing that “seed contributes about 60% to the productivity index of any crop, meaning that planting poor quality seeds is a recipe to failure, no matter the quantity of other inputs”

The Director General praised the efforts of PERL-DFID specifically for strategically advocating for small holder farmers’ increased access to improved inputs and quality seeds, a move which he said is in consonance with the drive of  NASC to reach out to the rural and urban farmers.

 

Katsina Farmers Commend Agricultural Seeds Council On Improved Varieties – New Nigerian Newspaper

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Seed farmers in Katsina State  have commended the efforts put in place by the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) in ensuring farmers have good and quality seed for the farming programme.

Speaking at the field day programme organized by NASC at Kanan Haki village in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State at the weekend, the state chairman Maize Farmer Alhsji Bello ABUBAKAR Annur made the commendation .

He said farmers day has given them the opportunity to have knowledge of knowing the correct and quality seed during farming season.

Annur advised farmers to always buy their seeds at the approved seed company to avoid buying adulterated seeds.

According to him with the current steps taken by the government in arresting the situation of adulterated seed in circulation is a welcome development.

Earlier in his address, the Zonal Director, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) North-West, Ubandoma Hudu Mohammed has assured farmers of their council’s commitment towards ensuring high quality improved seeds with genetic purity was produced by the seed companies before selling their products to farmers.

Ubadoma said the council has introduced high quality seeds that are striga free and draught tolerance that will benefit grassroots farmers.

He said, NASC is the regulatory agency saddled with the responsibility of certification of any kind of seeds produced by the seed companies in accordance with the fulfillment of the Nigerian Seed Law.

According to him, Nigeria will be sustainable, attain economic development, self-efficient and agricultural dependent if seed companies produce highly improved seeds that will boost agricultural production.

Government has inaugurated a strong committee to go round the markets and  seized all adulterated seeds already in circulation.

Ubandoma explained further that, previous materials used is giving problems to farmers because they have no knowledge of climate change, striges tolerance and draught tolerance as well as when to start farming.
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In North West Zone there are 88 registered seed companies while about 20 seed companies are waiting  registration.

The field day is organized in collaboration of NASC, MAAN and SEEDAN it was successfully conducted.

Katsina Farmers Commend Agricultural Seed Council On Improved Varieties

National Agricultural Seeds Council inaugurates Seed Inspectors in Kano

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The National Agricultural Seeds Council on Monday in Kano inaugurated seed inspectors to rid and sanitise the seed industry of fake and adulterated products.

The Director-General of NASC, Dr. Phillip Olusegun Ojo, who inaugurated the inspectors urged them to arrest and prosecute anybody or organisations that contravened any of the subsisting laws.

Ojo said the inspectors would help in sanitising the industry and carrying out regular sensitisation of stakeholders to reposition the industry.

He said the council had directed its seed law enforcement officers nationwide to commence full scale surveillance and enforcement of the provisions of the seed act.

Anyone, organisation or agency who engages in any seed related activity without proper recourse to the act will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law.

It is expected that the inspectors will bring the required sanity to the seed industry and make quality seeds and seedlings available to the teeming farmers that will translate it into higher yields and income, he said.

He said six inspectors were selected from each of the six zones of the country to head the monitoring groups.

On his part, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said quality seed was paramount to enhancing agricultural productivity, adding that it contributed more than 50 per cent of increased crop productivity per unit area.

This government through seed council has over the years engaged in regulating the activities of seed producing entities aimed at ensuring that enough quantities of improved quality seeds are available for farmers use, he said.

Ogbeh said the seed inspectorate unit would help in repositioning the country’s seed industry.

He however, warned fake and adulterated seed dealers that it was no longer business as usual.

According to him, the authority will not hesitate to deal with those who continue to sabotage the efforts of government toward food security.

The Minister also warned henceforth that the federal government would arrest and prosecute owners of companies that sell fake and sub-standard seeds to farmers.