As Nigeria looks to modernise agriculture, close its supply-demand gap, and lift millions from rural poverty, stories from rural farmers are a testament that innovation, in the right hands, can yield more than food, JULIANA AGBO writes.
On a quiet morning in Kwali Area Council, 71 kilometres southwest of Abuja, Judith Uke Ekele walks through her vibrant field of beans with a smile that tells a story.
For Judith, these aren’t just rows of cowpea; they are the seeds of a new life, one planted in innovation and watered by resilience.
To her, it was like an accomplished impossible mission due to Nigeria’s shortfall in production of cowpea in recent years.
When hope was fading
For years, Nigeria’s cowpea farmers laboured against odds. In 2019, data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) showed that the country imported about 500,000 metric tonnes of cowpea annually to meet local demand, a shortfall driven by pest infestations and the growing impact of climate change.
Among these pests, the Maruca vitrata, or pod borer, reigned as the most destructive.
According to Professor Mohammed Ishyaku, former Executive Director of the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, the insect can wipe out up to 80 percent of a farmer’s crop.
“These pests force farmers to apply numerous chemical sprays, creating health risks and high costs,” he explained.
To protect their beans, he noted that some farmers spray chemical pesticides up to eight or ten times per season.
The result, he noted, was a toxic combination of financial strain, environmental harm, and public health concerns, even prompting the European Union to once ban Nigerian beans for excessive pesticide residues.
Science meets survival
To tackle the severe yield losses caused by insect damage to cowpea flowers and pods, agricultural scientists at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, developed SAMPEA 20-T, Nigeria’s first genetically modified food crop, Popularly known as the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) cowpea, engineered to withstand pod borer attacks and significantly reduce the use of pesticides.
Prof. Ishiyaku, who also serves as the Principal Investigator of the PBR cowpea project, explained that SAMPEA 20T, named after Samaru, the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR) station where it was developed, “cowpea,” and its status as the 20th variety released by the institute, demonstrates how scientific innovation can effectively tackle Nigeria’s food security challenges.
Speaking on the PBR cowpea, Prof. Ishiyaku noted that its pest-resistant traits significantly cut down the need for chemical sprays, requiring only about two applications compared to the eight to ten typically needed for conventional varieties.
On the financial side, he stated that the country stands to gain N48 billion annually if one million hectares of the PBR cowpea is grown.
Since its release in 2019, this biotech breakthrough is rewriting the fate of farmers like Judith.
A testimony of survival to empowerment
Judith, who said she has been planting cowpea for over a decade, noted that she has been spending so much on chemicals annually which discouraged her from farming the commodity for some years.
“I used to spend so much on chemicals. Now, with this variety, I spray at most three times, and still get a bountiful harvest,” Judith says, kneeling to inspect a lush plant.
“The money I save goes to my children’s school fees, our clothing, and even helping other families.”
A mother of two originally from Kogi State, Judith has grown Sampea 20-T for the past four years.
What started as a survival venture has blossomed into a source of empowerment.
From investing in livestock to sharing her harvest and seeds with fellow farmers, Judith has become a grassroots evangelist for the GM variety.
“As a farmer, I don’t need to be stingy,” she chuckles. I share with others so they can cook, taste, and see for themselves. That’s how it spreads.”
Impact beyond the farm
The benefits of Sampea 20-T transcend economics. Nigeria, with over 35 million food-insecure people, also grapples with widespread malnutrition, especially among women and children.
The Director General/CEO of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Agnes Yemisi Asagbra, said cowpea, rich in protein, iron, and dietary fiber, is critical to combating these deficiencies.
While assuring Nigerians of the safety of PBR cowpea, she noted that the agency ensures that the processes of modern biotechnology and the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) do not have any adverse impact or risk to human health.
She added that Nigeria has adopted science and technology as one of the major tools to enhance the economy.
Speaking on the impact beyond the farm, Judith said the cowpea has helped boost her family nutrition.
Judith, who her farm operates as a mini circular economy, said the cowpea leaves and chaff become livestock feed, eliminating the need to buy commercial feed for her goats.
“Nothing goes to waste. It has changed how we live”, Judith added.
A future free from fear
Despite myths and misinformation that continue to shadow GM crops, Judith stands as living evidence of the safety and promise of biotech farming.
“People say it’s harmful, and it can’t produce much with just few times spray, but look at me”, she smiles, extending her arms.
“I’ve been planting and getting good yields and I have been eating it for years. No side effects, only blessings. This has definitely put Nigeria in the map as one of the leading producers of cowpea”, she added.
Backing her statement, Asagbra emphasised Nigeria’s leading role in cowpea production, noting that the country remains both the largest producer and consumer globally.
Citing data from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), she said Nigeria accounts for about 47 million tonnes representing 58 percent of the world’s total cowpea output.
In truth, Scientists said the Sampea 20-T holds the potential to unlock international markets.
Assistant entomologist for the Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea project in Nigeria at the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, Dr. Iliyasu Mohammed Utono, said with minimal pesticide use, Nigerian beans could once again qualify for export to Europe, bringing in foreign exchange and enhancing the country’s agro-export earnings.
“For a country where agriculture employs over 60 percent of the labor force, genetically modified technology like this could be a turning point if scaled responsibly”, Utono said.
Hope for farmers
What Judith cultivates is more than a crop; it is a movement, quiet but powerful, like the roots of the beans she harvests.
In her words: “This cowpea can improve lives if farmers take it seriously. When you plant it with a good heart, you won’t regret it.
“The testimony from the PBR cowpea is a humble reminder that when science meets the soil, even the smallest seed can grow into a harvest of hope”.
As technology continues to reshape Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, innovations like the PBR cowpea offer a glimpse into a future where science and sustainability work hand in hand, transforming seasons of struggle into harvests of hope for millions of farmers like Judith across the country.
