SENSITIZATION AND TRAINING WORKSHOP ON OPERATIONS AND USES OF THE NATIONAL SEED TRACKER HELD AT IITA IBADAN, FROM JUNE 24-25, 2019

The mandate of NASC, to regulate the production, marketing, trade and use of seeds in Nigeria is being achieved through the upgrade of seed certification and quality control from the conventional analogue method to digital certification; with a new innovation known as the National Seed Tracker (NST) recently launched at the SeedConnect 2019. This will ensure transparency, traceability and synergy among all stakeholders in the seed industry.

This app is an upgrade of the Cassava Seed Tacker (CST) and there is an urgent need to popularize the app for use by Seed Certification Officers of the Council and seed companies.

These necessitated an awareness program initiated in collaboration with the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and this drew out participants from the South West, South East and South South regions.

The workshop was declared opened by the DG NASC, Dr. Phillip Olusegun Ojo ably represented by the Director, Seed Certification and Quality Control, Dr. Khalid Ishiak who delivered the welcome address on behalf of the DG. In his opening address, the DG thanked IITA and the BASICS project for their support in the development of the CST which provided the platform for development of the National Seed Tracker.

He stressed the importance of quality seed in the development of the nations agriculture while also stating the unrelenting efforts of the Council in the battle to rid the markets of unscrupulous and adulterated seed.