Food Security: NADF, NASC Join Forces To Strengthen Seed Systems

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has partnered with the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) to drive a food security agenda through enhanced seed systems for six priority crops of maize, rice, cowpeas, cassava, millet and oil palm.

The strategic alliance which was unveiled during a two-day workshop on Enhancing Seed Systems for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja, aimed to accelerate crop production across the six-geopolitical zones.

The event was organised by NADF in collaboration with NASC, where stakeholders drew attention to the critical need for modern seed technology to address the growing threats of climate change on Nigeria’s food systems.

Speaking at the workshop, the minister of state for agriculture and food security, Sabi Abdullahi, stressed the urgency of integrating innovative solutions, insisting on the need to embrace modern seed technology to ensure sustainability and food security.

The minister linked the initiative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and harped on the importance such collaboration and innovation in overcoming challenges in the seed sector.

He highlighted key hurdles, including poor seed distribution, inadequate infrastructure, and public mistrust of improved seeds, while commending NADF’s leadership in tackling these obstacles.

On his part, the executive-secretary of NADF, Mohammed Abu Ibrahim, stressed the pivotal role of the six priority crops in achieving food security.

He recommited to the fund’s focus on financial support to agricultural research institutes and seed companies to develop, scale, and distribute improved seed varieties.

He said, “Through the seed systems enhancement programme, we aim to provide financial support to agricultural research institutes and seed companies to develop, scale, and distribute improved seed varieties”.

In his remarks, the acting director-general of NASC, Dr Ishiak Khalid, emphasised the importance of private-sector involvement and lauded government policies aimed at strengthening 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 noted.

At the workshop, stakeholders called for stronger collaboration to transform Nigeria’s seed systems and lauded NADF’s proactive measures with a pledge to support agenda that promotes sustainable agriculture and food security.