The Nation Newspaper

Category: Agriculture

  • RIFAN blames rice price hike on insufficient cultivation, others

    RIFAN blames rice price hike on insufficient cultivation, others

    The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) Lagos state chapter has said the insufficient cultivation of rice is responsible for the hike in the price of the commodity across the country.

    The RIFAN chairman of the Lagos state chapter, Raphael Hunsa, explained the country’s rice production is being impacted by a number of factors, including a shortage of labour, outdated machinery, insufficient state and federal government support, and insecurity.

    Hunsa stated this on Thursday, November 23, while addressing the media in the state.

    He indicated that the sector and farmers needed urgent attention just as he appealed to the government to amplify its support towards rice farmers and cultivation in the country in order to promote produce sufficiency.

    To facilitate a boost in the industry, he called for investments in cutting-edge mechanised equipment, noting that a dearth of such equipment had deterred many farmers from cultivation.

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    He said: “Rice farmers are not much, we are just educating and encouraging people to come into the value chain so that we can have more paddy and milling all year round.

    “We want the government to support us by providing all the equipment required for rice cultivation. We need to combine harvesters, tractors, planters, and other modern machinery that can move us forward and improve our rice production level.

    “Without all this modern machinery, we cannot achieve self-sufficiency in rice production. We cannot move forward if we remain in our local practice, we will just be producing for consumption.

    Hunsa stressing the need for more government intervention in rice production said: “Other countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, and India support their rice farmers with modern mechanised equipment and seedlings.

    “Their governments support them heavily and that is why the farmers in those countries produce rice in large quantities. What is stopping us in Nigeria from producing rice sufficiently? We have the land, we have the weather, and human resources.

    “What we are lacking is full commitment and investment in rice cultivation on the part of the government. Those countries that we are importing rice from, we also can do better than them if we get the right support. Nigeria can also export our local rice if the government concentrates and gives us all the needed support.”

    He further noted that given the current circumstances, there may not be enough rice for the Yuletide, which would undoubtedly have a significant effect on the price.

    He stated: “The rice in circulation won’t be enough but we will manage it though it will be expensive.”

    The Nation reports that traders and consumers groaned over the surging cost of homegrown rice even as the yuletide approached. They wondered why domestic rice was much more expensive than imported varieties.

    Many demanded the importation of foreign brands while simultaneously urging the government and stakeholders to take immediate action. They argued that would offset the local rice price increase.

  • Eatnow.ng tackles food waste, hunger in Nigeria

    Eatnow.ng tackles food waste, hunger in Nigeria

    Every year, Nigeria witnesses tons of edible, non-expired foods ending up in landfills, a missed opportunity for families to eat, supermarkets to profit and the nation to progress. 

    Recognising the urgent need for change, Eatnow.ng has launched a initiative to combat food waste and hunger, introducing a platform that offers discounted, close-to-expiry food items.

    Eatnow.ng’s platform provides a simple and intuitive solution for users to explore nearby supermarkets and their inventory of discounted items. Users can easily identify participating supermarkets within their vicinity, view product details, expiry dates, and prices. 

    The company has partnered with local supermarkets to make food nearing its expiry date available at heavily discounted rates, offering savings of up to 80%.

    “We envision a future where no edible food goes to waste, where affordable nutrition is accessible to all. Our mission goes beyond business; it aligns with global objectives. By reducing food waste and hunger, we actively contribute to the United Nations goals of eradicating poverty and hunger,” MD of Eatnow.ng. Noah Ibrahim said. 

    Eatnow.ng believes with the right investments and partnerships, the company can make a significant impact not only in Nigeria but globally.

    “Together, we can create a world where no family goes to bed hungry, a future where edible food is cherished and not discarded,” Ibrahim added. 

    Chief Operations Office, Amaka Osamor, shed more light on the values of Eatnow. 

    “The platform’s core values—Quality of Food, Affordability, and Sustainability—guide Eatnow.ng’s operations. The company adheres to NAFDAC guidelines and collaborates with supermarkets to ensure proper disposal of expired items. Their commitment to affordability aims to make food accessible to the underserved, combating the rapid increase in food prices. At Eatnow, we believe that if you have to eat it now, you should get it cheaper,” Osamor stated.

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    She added::”We are also working to secure partnerships with more neighborhood supermarkets within the Lekki axis, with plans to expand our network to cover the whole of Lagos State by end of the first quarter of 2024.”

    Eatnow.ng is spearheading a revolutionary approach to tackle food waste by partnering with local supermarkets to list and offer food items close to expiry, but not expired, at substantial discounts through its platform. The company’s mission is clear: making quality food affordable, reducing waste, and taking a stand against hunger in Nigerian society.

    Eatnow Marketplace Technology Limited  is a leading FoodTech company based in Lagos dedicated to revolutionizing the way Nigeria addresses food waste. Through innovative partnerships with local supermarkets, Eatnow.ng offers discounted, close-to-expiry food items, making quality food affordable, reducing waste, and contributing to the fight against hunger.

  • GM Crops: Changing farmers’ fortune in Nigeria

    GM Crops: Changing farmers’ fortune in Nigeria

    In recent years, new developments in agricultural biotechnology and the successful cultivation of GM crops in some African countries have directed attention to the potential of GM crops in addressing global food security and poverty.

    In Nigeria, however, the adoption of GM crops has been slow, despite extensive research and promising results on crops such as GM cowpea. The shift from traditional farming methods to using

    biotechnology is not only influenced by scientific or technical factors, but also by ethical, social, and political considerations.

    Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and it is one of the largest producers of a wide range of crops, including maize, cotton, and rice. The agricultural sector in Nigeria employs about 70 percent of the national workforce and contributes to around 40percent of the gross domestic product (GDP).

    However, Nigerian farmers face many challenges, such as low crop productivity, frequent outbreaks of pests and diseases, and the impacts of climate change.

    Genetically modified (GM) crops are produced through biotechnology techniques that allow for the transfer of genes from one organism to another. This results in the creation of crops with desirable traits, such as resistance to pests and diseases, tolerance to herbicides, and the ability to cope with environmental stress.

    In the United States, GM crops account for a large proportion of staple crops, such as maize, soybean, and cotton. In recent years, the focus of GM crop development and adoption has expanded to developing countries in Africa and Asia, where agriculture plays a vital role in the national economy.

    An important area of biotechnology involves modifying the genetic make-up of plants and crops. Genetically modified (GM) crops are increasingly being grown around the world. In 2018, the global hectarage of GM crops was 191.7 million hectares, and there were 26 countries growing GM crops. Such changes can have a range of influences, from the potential of increased yields to more efficient land use.

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    Many crops can be genetically modified to improve their yield, growth or resilience. This includes the most important cereal crops such as wheat and maize, as well as potatoes and fruit such as tomatoes. One of the primary reasons for the genetic modification of crops is to increase yield.

    With the growth of global populations increasing the demand for food, this is a vital technological development that could help to meet demand and prevent worldwide famine.

    Another reason for modifying crops is to make them more resilient. Crop failure can be caused by a range of environmental and biological factors, and being able to genetically modify plants so that they are better able to grow in difficult conditions can help to safeguard food supplies in the future. This is particularly important in the light of climate change, as changing weather patterns can make it more difficult to grow certain crops in some areas.

    The genetic modification of crops isn’t just about improving the efficiency of crop growth; it can also allow for different farming methodologies, such as reducing the need for pesticides. By modifying crops so that they are more resistant to pests that affect their yield, it is possible for farmers to have greater yields without increased effort and cost in protecting the plants.

    Agriculture is a major part of the Nigerian economy, so investment in agriculture has great capacity to lift people out of poverty. The agricultural sector in Nigeria is largely unmechanized, with access to technology and finance being a major barrier to entry.

    As such, crop yields in Nigeria are amongst the lowest in the world. For example, the average cereal yield in Nigeria was 1.8 tonnes per hectare, compared to a global average of 3.95 tonnes per hectare. However, in recent years the Nigerian government has made efforts to modernize the agricultural sector and improve food security and poverty reduction.

    The Agricultural Transformation Agenda, launched in 2011, was a policy undertaken by the Nigerian government to reinvigorate the sector. It sought to promote private sector investment in technology and mechanization, create a national agricultural database and an electronic wallet system for farmers and increase funding for the national extension service.

    In addition, the agenda had a strong emphasis on utilizing agricultural science and technology to improve crop production. This included efforts to improve crop varieties through modern plant breeding techniques, such as genetic modification.

    The adoption and promotion of genetically modified crops, such as insect-resistant cotton and pest-tolerant maize, became a central part of the government’s agricultural development strategy.

    In addition, Nigerian farmers face the commercial challenges of a lack of funding and poor access to markets. Agricultural research in Nigeria receives little funding, meaning that few advances have been made in improving the yield of crops grown by smallholder farmers.

    Large commercial farmers in Nigeria, who have the funds to invest in expensive imported machinery and fertilizers, benefit from low import tariffs on foreign produce.

    However, smallholder farmers cannot afford these inputs and so cannot compete with larger farms that produce crops such as rice, tomato, and poultry. This forces them to rely on subsistence farming, rather than making farming a profitable enterprise. These limiting factors restrict the ability of smallholder farmers to profit from their work, and so they instead rely on subsistence farming methods.

    The recent interventions by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation in collaboration with national research organisations has assisted smallholder farmers in accessing and planting crops that have proven to cost effective.

    In Collaboration with AATF, the Institute for Agricultural Research was able to develop and release Pod Borer Resistant Cowpea, one of Africa’s first genetically modified food crop varieties that is already changing the fortune of smallholder farmers in the country.

    In the same vein, AATF and IAR collaborated, developed, and released Nigeria’s first genetically modified maize variety that is tripled starked to withstand Fall Army Worm, Stem Borers, and mild drought. These varieties have a yield potential of 10 tons per hectare as against 3 tons per hectare for the most thriving conventional variety in the country.

    At the National Root Crop Research Institute in Umudike, Southeast Nigeria, researchers are about to release a potato variety that is genetically modified and has a yield potential of 300 percent above the most prolific variety of potato grown in the country.

    Considering the determination of the various research institutes in the country to genetically improve their various mandated crops for better performance, in no time, farmers in the country will overcome the limitations associated with low productivity and other stress that discouraged smallholder farmers in the country.

  • Farm to market: How predictive analytics can stabilise produce prices

    Farm to market: How predictive analytics can stabilise produce prices

    As Nigeria continues to confront rising food prices, widespread post-harvest losses, and unpredictable market fluctuations, experts are turning their attention to a technology that could reshape the nation’s agricultural economy: predictive analytics.

    Agricultural economist Oladayo Oluleye has emerged as one of the leading voices advocating for the integration of data-driven forecasting tools into Nigeria’s food supply chain. His research, which examines how temperature shifts, storage failures, logistics delays, and market behaviors contribute to price volatility, is drawing growing attention among policymakers and industry leaders.

    According to Oluleye, Nigeria’s produce markets do not lack supply they lack predictive insight.

    “Most of the price instability we see is not random,” he explained in a recent briefing. “It is the result of identifiable patterns driven by climate conditions, transportation timing, and storage performance. Predictive analytics allows us to detect these patterns early enough to intervene before disruptions escalate.”

    Understanding the Hidden Mechanics of Price Swings

    Oluleye’s findings show that even small disruptions such as a few hours of power loss in a cold room or an overnight delay on a major transport corridor can trigger ripple effects across multiple states. These disruptions often lead to artificial scarcity, steep price jumps, and spoilage that could have been prevented.

    His models combine historical market data with weather forecasts, transport behavior, and storage metrics to predict when and where these disruptions will occur.

    “Once you connect these data points, price behavior becomes much easier to anticipate,” he said.

    This approach, he argues, can help stabilize produce prices and prevent the recurrent market shocks that have become common across the country.

    A Tool With National Importance

    Predictive analytics is widely used in advanced agricultural economies, but remains underutilized in Nigeria. Oluleye believes this gap limits the nation’s ability to respond to food system stress, particularly as climate variability intensifies.

    The technology, he explains, can provide early warnings for:

    • Upcoming shortages in regional markets

    • Expected price spikes for perishables

    • High-risk periods for spoilage due to heat

    • Storage failures in major aggregation centers

    • Transport slowdowns likely to affect supply volumes

    For government agencies, such insights could inform emergency food distribution, import decisions, and market stabilization programs. For farmers and traders, it offers clearer guidance on production planning, storage investment, and timing of sales.

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    Protecting the Food System Before Crises Emerge

    Nigeria loses an estimated 40% of fresh produce before it reaches consumers, largely due to poor storage and transport inefficiencies. Oluleye argues that predictive analytics could drastically cut these losses by giving supply chain actors real-time alerts before conditions deteriorate.

    “It’s about shifting from reactive management to preventive action,” he said.

    His research shows that predictive tools can reduce waste, improve cold-chain performance, and offer more consistent price expectations for millions of Nigerian households.

    A Roadmap for Implementation

    Oluleye recommends that Nigeria adopt a national strategy for integrating predictive analytics into its food economy. Key steps include:

    • Establishing real-time agricultural data platforms

    • Integrating climate and temperature models with market forecasting

    • Expanding digital monitoring for cold-chain and storage hubs

    • Improving collaboration between researchers, logistics companies, and policymakers

    • Training supply chain stakeholders to interpret predictive dashboards

    According to him, these measures would strengthen Nigeria’s food security and improve regional market stability across West Africa.

    A Vision for the Future

    With the country’s population growing rapidly and climate pressures intensifying, Oluleye believes Nigeria can no longer rely on traditional supply chain instincts.

    “The future of agricultural markets is data-driven,” he said. “Predictive analytics gives Nigeria the ability to foresee disruptions, protect value, and stabilize prices. It is the missing link between the farm and the consumer.”

    Industry observers say his work is helping shift national discussions toward a more modern, resilient, and scientifically informed food system one capable of supporting millions of producers and consumers across the country.

  • Onoh set to open multi-billion zoological garden, apartments in Enugu

    Onoh set to open multi-billion zoological garden, apartments in Enugu

    With last week’s Supreme Court decision on the presidential election matters, Dr. Josef Onoh has declared the 2023 political process as concluded and has returned to his hospitality and wildlife conservation business.

    Onoh, who aspired for Enugu governorship, became President Tinubu’s spokesman in the southeast where he was vociferous in defense of President Tinubu’s campaigns.

    He was recently sighted at the Artis Royal Zoo in the centre of Amsterdam, Netherlands. Artis Royal is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands and the fifth oldest zoo in the world, opened on the 1st of May 1838.

    Onoh lives in Paris and Nigeria. His love for animals is well known right from his childhood in Edinburgh Scotland was seen in company of various staff of the facility inspecting various enclosures with his team during the sixth day understudy visit which will terminate at Berlin Zoological Garden, Germany.

    The European zoological tour is said to be in connection with Onoh’s current hospitality and conservation project, Woodland Park Zoo and Apartments, self-funded and executed by his Company, Tenerife hospitality group.

    Tenerife is the promoter of hospitality outfits such as Jalapeños Mexican grills, Kublai Khan Mongolian restaurant, Terminal 1(Aviators club), Voodoo Lounge, Morehouse hotels, Tenerife Apartments, The Arriba Entertainment Centre, among others.

    Woodland Park zoo and Apartments is situated at Iva valley forest reserve, a colonial quarter in Enugu.

    The Tourism investment comprises 10 units of three-bedroom furnished service bungalows, 15 units of serviced one-bedroom apartments, 20 units of loft aparthotel, swimming pool, gymnasium, restaurant and lounge.

    It has various bicycle rides for all ages, quad bike and hiking experiences in the famous miliken hill, horse stables and riding experience. A zoological garden comprising of Giraffes, zebras, Eland antelopes, Cape buffalo, Thompsons gazelles, ostriches, various species of monkeys, Emu, warthogs, porcupines, gaint tortoise, deers, crocodiles, various species of snakes, peacocks, various species of Eagles, griffon vultures, servel cat, mixed bird Avery and lots more.

    Guests will experience a once-in-a-lifetime connection with nature and a feeling of Safari adventure while in the centre of the city.

    The facility will open to the public in late August 2024 and it’s the first of it’s kind in Nigeria and one of the few personal non-bank funded investments undertaken in Nigeria by few investors.

    This also will be the first major tourist investment in Enugu state since the last government-owned zoo was closed over 20yrs ago and the state zoological garden turned to high brow residential estate.

    The same occurred in Imo State government-owned zoo, bringing to present non existence of any zoological garden in the south east where children can visit.

    The Woodland park zoo and Apartments Enugu is therefore coming to fill the vacuum for provision of wildlife tourism will be one of the best individual investment to benefit and place Enugu state in the main stream growing tourism industry.

    The project estimated to gulp about N2.3bn of which almost N1.8bn has already been expended. The project is already 70 percent completed.  A proposed go cart racing track and Arcade world will be introduced late 2026 which is anticipated to gulp more than N1.7bn at the current forex rate.

    Onoh as Chairman of Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA) brought out his creative ingenuity to bare. For him, the task was not just about enforcement for compliance to town planning regulations but also about creative development in the city planning. Examples of Onoh’s introduced city remodel are evident in park lane roundabout, Tunnel/Okpara Avenue junction, Otigba junction, New Haven dual carriage connection, Ebeano tunnel by Garden Avenue ramp.

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    He also executed the Government House white lion statues, the memorial plane for 1983 plane crash victims at Akanu Ibiam international airport Enugu, just to mention but a few. Each of the projects initiated and executed by Onoh’s leadership of the ECTDA added value and strengthened the city’s physical planning.

    As the spokesman of Bola Tinubu in the southeast, Onoh made significant branding and image laundering of the APC presidential campaign in the zone that in the past was not known for the patronage of the national ruling party.

    He tackled all the opposition media wars against President Tinubu vigorously and intellectually that non ever were bold to counter his publications due to the veracity of the facts it mostly contained.

  • Adamawa offers incentives for dry season farming

    Adamawa offers incentives for dry season farming

    The Adamawa State Government has offered incentives to encourage massive dry season farming in the coming months.

    The government announced the incentives, stressing its readiness to support dry season farming to mitigate the effects of famine.

    Commissioner of Agriculture, Professor David Jatau, who represented Governor Ahmadu Fintiri during the ‘Mega Farmers’ Brown Field Day’, said erratic rain and destruction to farmlands by floods in recent past are ominous for famine.

    “We are set to support dry season farmers with all the inputs they will need,” the commissioner said.

    The Mega Framers Brown Field Day, held in Demsa, an agrarian community in southern Adamawa, was organized by Nigeria Integrated Agriculture Activity (IAA) when improved farming activities funded by USAID was inspected by implementing organisations, namely the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and International Crops Research Institute for the Semi Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).

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    The Deputy Chief of Party of the IAA, Mr Olukayode Faleti, who represented the Chief of Party, Mr Prakash Silwal, said the Mega Farmers Brown Field Day was about reviewing the success of USAID-funded Feed the Future programme.

    “We are approaching harvest when we see the result of our efforts. We are here to see how our farmers have practiced what we taught them as shown in the quality of their crops,” Mr Faleti explained.

    A highlight of the event was a tour of demonstration farms belonging to some beneficiaries of the programme 

    The District Head of Demsa, Chief Fidelis Ali, affirmed that the farmers in his domain who embraced the improved seedlings and advanced farming techniques introduced through the Feed the Future/IAA programme have done well in their farms.

  • PSAG promotes income diversification through agriculture

    PSAG promotes income diversification through agriculture

    The United Nations Private Sector Advisory Group (PSAG) Nigeria Cluster Five is organising the third edition of the virtual annual e-learning masterclass series.

    The Business of Agriculture Masterclass 3.0 seeks to disseminate Agribusiness opportunities through seasoned professionals and industry experts to Nigerians interested in establishing Agribusiness enterprises, investing in Agriculture, and having multiple streams of income.

    The Masterclass will hold virtually from October 10-12 by 9.00am. 

    The agriculture sector remains one of the key players in the economy and the largest employer of labour in the country. 

    According to the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, as at February 2023, Agriculture accounted for 23.78 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP); almost four times higher than the contribution of the oil sector to the GDP.

    Nigeria is said to have the largest population of youth in the world with about 70% of the population under 30, and a median age of 18.1 years. Almost 40 million Nigerians are between ages 15 and 24 years (World Data Atlas, 2020), and based on the youth unemployment rates released by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2022, about 53.4% of youths are unemployed. 

    The agriculture sector being the largest employer of labour in the country offers various value chains which Nigerian youths can take part in. Although there is a lack of interest in Agriculture among majority of youths due to the perceived labour-intensive nature of farming and perceived low-profitability of agricultural enterprises, the Masterclass seeks to change this narrative as profitable opportunities abound in the sector.

    Nigeria recently declared a state of emergency on food insecurity to help tackle food shortages and boost agricultural productivity. This challenge presents an opportunity for Nigerians to key into the various value chains existing in the Agricultural sector to boost food security in the country.

    The Business of Agriculture Masterclass 3.0 will be engaging key experts to discuss the practice and business of Agriculture in eight value chains including Crop Production (Vegetable Farming using Hydroponics and soil), Agro-Technology, Agro-Logistics and Market Linkages, Nutrition and Lifestyle, Animal Husbandry, Agro-Processing and Value Addition, Aquaculture and Agro-Financing. Interested Nigerians can register for the free Masterclass at bit.ly/BOAMasterclass2023.

    As a commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets, the former Vice President of Nigeria inaugurated the PSAG in February 2017 comprising primarily private sector organizations and corporate foundations. Nigeria became the first UN member to inaugurate a local PSAG, mirroring the UN SDG-Fund PSAG (PSAG Global) and other UN initiatives. The PSAG Nigeria works closely with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs (OSSAP-SDGs) and the UN to ensure that the Global goals are achieved in Nigeria.

    The PSAG Nigeria exists to foster policy dialogue, applied research, private sector engagement, and strategic interventions at the policy, project, community and entrepreneurial levels. 

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    The PSAG is structured around 11 different clusters, mapped for the cross implementation and reporting of companies’ activities around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals under suggested standards. 

    Each cluster owns, leads and drives dialogue and implementation efforts with respective cluster members that fall within the same group criteria by goals within the private sector and corporate foundations in Nigeria.

    The PSAG Nigeria Cluster Five, the driver of The Business of Agriculture Masterclass, covers Agribusiness and the Manufacturing sector. 

    It is focused on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). It is anticipated that the live training sessions of the Masterclass will expose participants which would include practicing and potential Agribusiness entrepreneurs and investors to the numerous opportunities in Agriculture, and how they can tap into it and make for themselves additional streams of income, while also contributing to solving the problems of food insecurity and unemployment in Nigeria.

  • Optimising agricultural biotechnology potential for growth

    Optimising agricultural biotechnology potential for growth

    With Nigeria’s population expected to hit 300 million by 2030, achieving food security has become a major challenge. Insecurity, access to land, and climate change are, however, negatively impacting agricultural production. Thus, the growing realisation of the need to deploy agricultural biotechnologies to boost food production, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    Farming has become a challenge to smallholder farmers in many parts of the country. This is due to unpredictable weather and inaccessible climate-smart farm input.

      In recent months, climate change-induced disasters have surged with unexpected and excessive rainfall and floods causing massive damage to the ready-to-harvest crop and threatening the food security and livelihood of smallholder farmers.

      To boost productivity and income and sustain the livelihoods, farmers not only have to adopt good farming practices but also must have access to new high-yielding, drought- and disease-resistant varieties. The reality is that some farmers don’t have access to varieties that are drought resistance.

      Others don’t have access to varieties known for early maturity, high yielding, and large cobs potential.

     For instance, the demand for maize is increasing; with the main driver coming from the growing need for poultry feed. The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) recently warned that the sector was facing imminent collapse, following the scarcity and soaring prices of maize, a vital feed for birds, The operators said this crisis posed a serious threat to the advancement of the poultry sector and puts over 25 million jobs within the value chain at risk.

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    The Chairman, Lagos State chapter of PAN, Iyiola Mojeed, decried the high cost of maize, soy and wheat, the major components of feed production, even as he called on the government to stop the importation of frozen foods. The association’s chairman lamented that owing to the hard times his members had been subjected to, many have been forced out of business.

    According to him, “the availability and prices of maize, soy and wheat, the major components of feed in our industry, have gone to the extreme, meaning that production of eggs and other poultry products is at risk in the country, which normally shouldn’t be.”

    In Asia where, the government has made tremendous progress in the production of maize and other staples that happened because of the hybrid maize seed industry, supported by investment incentives within the sector, presence of competitive products, and support R&D by local seed companies. Also, studies buttressed the presence of ideal technologies and technical expertise across the seed value chain.

    Indeed, study published by PG Economics in the UK, it noted that in 2020, African farmers earned an estimated $282 million from growing genetically modified (GM) crops.

    In addition, those farmers across the globe earned an estimated $18.8 billion in additional benefits from growing GM crops. Despite this, study posited that gm crops are grown commercially in less than 10 per cent of Africa’s 54 countries.

    For experts, application of biotechnology would boost national food production. Therefore, strengthening and scaling seed production of various crop varieties in Nigeria through biotechnology would be a game-changer for the long-term sustainability of the agricultural industry, they said.

    This was one of the key points of a Agricultural Technology and Biosafety Sensitisation Workshop for the Media organised by the National Biotechnology Development Agency, the African Technology Foundation and Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa.

    The organisations have been working with the National Seeds Council, research institutes and partners to produce good seed varieties and making suitable germplasms and market-ready hybrid and GM products available for testing, validation and registration in the country.

    For  Head of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology and Biotech Awareness Unit, Mrs Iweajunwa Ogochukwu, Nigeria has a more urgent need to adopt GM organisms for agricultural improvement, with challenges such as climate change and population growth.

    She believes the agriculture industry is entering a new chapter with the biotechnology component supporting the sector, stressing the importance of GM products in the government’s quest to achieve food self-sufficiency. This is because the period will usher in a wave of high-yielding crop varieties.

     Her words: “The aim of this workshop is to enlighten and keep the participants abreast with the developments in Ag. Biotech and how such changes can improve lives and general well-being of Nigerians.’’

    She also said agricultural biotechnology offers farmers the potential to produce more food and create a competitive sector capable of generating more jobs.

    In addition that access to innovative biotechnology such as GM would help them to deliver increased yields.

    According to her, the strategic objectives for biotechnology were to guarantee food security and self-sufficiency through improvements to agricultural productivity.

    The use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has been a contentious issue across the food sector.

    Indeed, public perceptions and political debates on the risks and benefits of agricultural biotechnology have grown as people continue to be wary of GM crops, due to concerns about the cost of seeds, issues surrounding herbicide resistance and worries about allergens and safety.

    Such fears were unfounded, according to Mrs Ogochukwu, who added that no adverse reactions had been found in any approved GM products in the market.

    For her and the rest of the speaker, advances in plant biotechnology have allowed the development of GM varieties that have significantly impacted agricultural management and improved the grain yield.

    Director, Department of Agricultural biotechnology, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Dr. Rose Gidado, described biotechnology as a tool to feed the future. This is because so many products have emerged from the process to boost agricultural productivity, sustainability,  growth, and nutritional security.

    According to her, NABDA is working with other agencies to support the deployment and commercialisation of various varieties of GM for nutritional improvement.

    Gidado said biotechnology has been recognised as one of the most significant frameworks for development in the nation, adding that its application in agriculture, enhances the production of nutritious food crops and increases farmers’revenue. She noted that biotechnology application had become very necessary in almost all sectors, especially in health where various vaccines are saving lives.

    She said the government is advancing agricultural technology to achieve food security. She said Nigeria approved its first biotechnology crop Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) cotton for commercialisation in 2018.

    She added: “Next Nigeria approved the commercial release of Pod Borer Resistant Cow pea (PBR cowpea; AAT709A) in January 2019. In December 2020, Nigeria became the first African country to issue gene editing guidelines.”

    According to her, Nigeria will continue to deliver notable achievements in biotechnology research and development – spurred by strong support of the government.

    Major biotechnology achievements, she noted, included TELA maize, developed for fall army Worm and Stem Borer resistance by the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, which was approved by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).

    Other modern biotechnology crops,  which have been commercialised, she  continued,  include insect-resistant beans and cotton, Herbicide Tolerant (HT) soybeans, Virus Resistant Cassava with Elevated Iron and Zinc developed by the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI).

    GM TELA Maize varieties have been released to farmers by the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University.

    TELA maize varieties, to Dr.  Gidado, are genetically modified to tolerate mild drought and to protect against certain insect pests, especially stem borer and fall armyworm (FAW).

    The variety produces nine tonnes per hectare as against three tons by the best producing maize variety in Nigeria. She noted that many campaigns had been undertaken to   enhance the understanding of policymakers, regulators, and technical experts about biotechnology applications in crops, livestock, fisheries and aquatic resources, as well as the role of biotechnology in spurring agricultural innovation.

    She said: “No trace of ill-health or safety concerns have been traced to the already two commercialised biotech crops, Bt Cotton and PBR Cowpea,   in the market. For sure, Nigeria is on her way to achieving zero hunger.”

    She expressed concern that anti-GMO activism has stalled the adoption of genetically engineered crops.

    On the propagation of scientific facts on biotechnology and addressing the misconceptions, the Director said the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) is doing a lot in Nigeria. She said the Forum had been facilitating constructive conversations among key stakeholders and decision-makers on agricultural biotechnology.

    She  explained  that OFAB, a project of Africa Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is being implemented in 10 African countries—Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi and Rwanda.  

    With the state of emergency declared in the food and agric sector, she maintained that the integration of technology tools into  agriculture has become a necessity.

    She observed: “It is expedient to note that agricultural biotechnology alone is not going to be an all-sufficient approach but for sure, it will definitely revolutionise national food production.”

    Director-General/Chief Executive of the NABDA, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, noted that the country is experiencing rapid population growth, necessitating a need to double food production by 2050.

    To overcome these obstacles and increase food production for the public, he called for the deployment of cutting-edge technological tools such as modern biotechnology.

    For most successful adoption, he urged senior editors to provide a balanced view, incorporating diverse perspectives on biotechnology-related issues to facilitate public discourse that would help shape policies that prioritise safety, equity, and sustainability in agric biotechnology.

    He urged reporters to highlight success stories and instances of agricultural biotechnology applications, highlighting real-world examples of how biotechnology has benefited agriculture that can enhance the public and illustrate the palpable advantages of this breakthrough.

    Director-General/Chief Executive, National Biosafety Management Agency, Dr. Agnes Yemisi Asagbra said Nigeria has the appropriate legal regime to regulate the application of the GMO technology in agricultural production.

    She noted that to safeguard human health, the rapid progress of modern biotechnology has given rise to new regulatory needs while taking advantage of the opportunities offered by it.

    She observed: “The application of modern biotechnology under a legal framework can, therefore, be a valuable tool for addressing the several global and national concerns/challenges in the areas of human health, agriculture, environment and industry.”

  • Kwara Gov inspects industrial park

    Kwara Gov inspects industrial park

    Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Saturday visited the site of the industrial park, which is under massive construction at Eiyenkorin in Asa Local Government.

    The first phase of the industrial park comprises a perimeter fence, lay-by, concrete pavement (concrete road and drainage, and car park), and accessories for power supply.

    When completed, the industrial park will occupy 196 hectares of land and would comprise residential buildings, facility manager’s house, wood processing section, commercial section, agroprocessing section, metal and minerals processing, and green area.

    Read Also: Undergraduate lifts physically challenged Kwara pupil

    Phase one of the industrial park is one of the projects being funded with the bond the state government recently accessed. 

    It is meant to expand the industrial base of Kwara State, with impacts on employment generation and wealth creation, among other benefits.

  • Lawmaker empowers farmers with fertilizer

    Lawmaker empowers farmers with fertilizer

    Senator Adeniyi Adegbonmire (Ondo Central) has distributed hundreds of fertilizer bags to farmers in the district as part of efforts towards enhancing agricultural productivity and contribute to food sufficiency.

    The beneficiaries were drawn from the six local governments of the district which include Akure South, Akure North, Ondo West, Ondo East, Idanre and Ifedore council areas. 

    Speaking during the distribution of the product, Adegbonmire stated the gesture was in tandem with the initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to boost food sufficiency through the agricultural sector.

    The distributed fertilisers included 156 bags of NPK fertilizer and 68 bags of UREA fertilizer, aimed at supporting various crops such as cassava, rice, cocoa, tomato, and maize.

    He expressed commitment to the senatorial district and assured that he would continue to do more for the district. 

    The lawmaker said the move was a practical step towards achieving agricultural growth and ensuring a stable food supply within Nigeria.

    Read Also: NSCDC arrests five persons in Jos over adulterated fertilizer

    According to him, the initiative underlined the commitment of lawmakers to supporting their constituents and advancing the nation’s agricultural sector.

    The beneficiaries of the programme consisted of several farming associations in the district, including Adebiyi Oluwalanu, Chairman of the Tomato Farmers Association in Ondo state and south west, Mr. Oloruntoba, State Chairman of the Cassava Farmers Association; Mr. Akinriade Kayode, State Chairman of the Maize grower Association; Mr. Adebayo Abayomi, State Secretary of the Cocoa Farmers Association; and Prince George Oladapo, State Chairman of the Rice Farmers Association.

    The leaders of the farmers associations who received the fertilizers on behalf of members of the associations expressed their gratitude to the Senator for helping them to boost their ability to produce more for citizens to consume.