National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has reiterated its commitment to driving innovation in the seed industry through digital technology.
Director General, Fatuhu Muhammad, spoke during a refresher training for seed companies, licensed seed inspectors and lead outgrowers.
Muhammad noted the role of the seed tracker platform in inspection and certification of crop seeds across the country.
He hinted of plans to expand use of private inspectors as part of the strategy to enhance efficiency and reduce burden on NASC officers.
The director general noted that the seed tracker has been exported to Tanzania, Uganda, and Sierra Leone, with many expressing interest in adopting the innovation.
He said: “Over 52 seed companies have input data on the Seed Tracker on crops, including cassava, cowpea, yam, potato, rice, and maize. The platform, developed to enhance transparency and traceability in seed certification, is pmodernising Nigeria’s agriculture”.
Muhammad also announced strategic engagements with International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), International Union for Protection of New Varieties of Plants, OECD Seed Schemes, and UPOV.
These alignments, he said, are intended to open up global seed market opportunities.
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“Nigeria can dominate Africa’s seed market. A special focus was placed on cowpea, a critical source of dietary protein in Nigeria. While demand remains high, the seed system has lagged due to poor storability and pest infestation.
“To combat these challenges, Bt cowpea, a genetically modified with resistance to pests, has been adopted by some firms, with efforts to address post-harvest storage pests”.
He hailed Donald Danforth Plant Science Centre in United States for its support through ENCIBBS project, which has enhanced Nigeria’s biotech capacity.
A participant at the training, Hassan Yohanna Lassa, who is also the Managing Director, Boom seeds Nig. Ltd, expressed satisfaction with the knowledge gained, highlighting its importance in promoting quality seed production and curbing seed adulteration across Nigeria.
According to him, the seed tracker has emerged as a transformative tool in the Nigerian agricultural landscape.
He noted that the platform plays a critical role in tracking the source and purity of seeds, helping to prevent adulteration while promoting transparency throughout the seed value chain.
“The Seed Tracker is very beneficial to seed companies, farmers, and the country at large,” one attendee said. “It guides us in every aspect of what we do in the seed sector and helps ensure traceability. With today’s training, we are now committed to making sure that all our farmers are captured on the platform, and wherever our seeds go, the source will be known and tracked.”
Another participant, Chukwuemeka Umeh, described the training as a milestone in the ongoing effort to modernise Nigeria’s agricultural system through digital tools and capacity building.
“Now, with what we’ve learned, we can detect symptoms of many diseases and apply control measures ourselves. This has greatly enriched our previous knowledge base,” he noted.
