Nigeria needs stronger seed system to achieve food security — NASC

The National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) has called for increased investment, digitalisation and stronger partnerships to transform Nigeria’s seed industry and boost food security.

The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NASC, Fatuhu Muhammed, made the call on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.

Muhammed said the council was using the forum to strengthen collaboration with development organisations, private-sector actors and international partners interested in supporting seed production and improving access to quality seeds in Nigeria.

He identified digitalisation as a major priority in the council’s efforts to modernise the seed industry.

“I want to go to digitalisation. I want to go digital. This is the 21st century,” he said.

According to him, NASC has also recorded significant progress in strengthening Nigeria’s seed regulatory system, noting that the council has continued to work with regional and international organisations to improve standards.

He said Nigeria’s seed regulatory framework had received recognition within the West African regulatory system, describing the development as a good foundation for attracting more international partnerships and investments into the country’s seed sector.

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“We are meeting a lot of partners, collaborating with a lot of international organisations who are willing and eager to come to Nigeria to partner with NASC towards seed production and to satisfy the seed needs of Nigeria,” Muhammed said.

The NASC boss also highlighted the council’s efforts to tackle the circulation of adulterated and counterfeit seeds, saying the agency had intensified enforcement against individuals involved in the practice.

He disclosed that the council had prosecuted nearly three persons over the distribution of adulterated and counterfeit seeds, with one person already convicted and sentenced to about 18 months in prison.

He recalled that the council had taken action following concerns over the quality of onion seeds reported in the previous year.

Muhammed said NASC had also introduced the SeedCodex, a scratch-code system attached to certified seeds to enable farmers and consumers to access vital information about the products they purchase.

According to him, the SeedCodex provides details including the seed producer, expected yield per hectare and year of production, helping farmers distinguish certified seeds from fake or uncertified products.

“Any seed that doesn’t have that codex is not accounted for. That’s the standard practice anywhere in this world,” he said.

He, however, stressed that farmers also had a role to play by ensuring they purchased certified seeds from recognised sources.

Muhammed expressed concern over the low adoption of certified seeds in Nigeria, saying only about 12 per cent of seeds used by farmers are certified.

He described the situation as a major challenge to efforts to achieve food security, noting that Nigeria still faces a significant gap in the availability of quality planting materials.

The NASC director-general said addressing the seed deficit would require stronger investment across the agricultural value chain, including fertiliser, irrigation, mechanisation and other critical inputs.

He urged stakeholders at the Africa Food Systems Forum to strengthen partnerships that would enable Nigeria to expand local seed production, improve regulatory enforcement and ensure farmers have access to quality seeds.

He said a stronger seed system would not only improve productivity but also contribute significantly to Nigeria’s broader efforts to achieve food security and develop a more resilient agricultural sector.