Dr Mohammad Abubakar, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, has called on agric stakeholders to adopt the use of quality seeds to support various policies of the ministry set up to ensure food security, nutrition, and economic growth.
The Minister made this disclosure during a familiarization visit to the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Sheda, Gwagwalada in Abuja, saying quality seeds are the foundation of crop production and a stimulus for increased agricultural yield.
The NASC is an agency of the government-mandated to  research  issues relating to seed production, testing, quality control, registration, certification, release, marketing, distribution and use of seed in Nigeria, including importation and exportation of seeds.
The agency is in charge of the overall development and regulation of the national seed industry as well as advising the government on the changing pattern of seed demand and farmers’ needs for proper management and financing of seed programs.
NASC Assures Availability of Over 100,000MT Certified Seeds for Planting
According to Abubakar, NASC is Africa’s leading seed regulator, which has fostered the emergence of a globally competitive seed sector, with planting material that is available, accessible, and affordable for all farmers.
He promised that the ministry will continue to support the agency to achieve its core mandate while eulogizing the agency for its contribution towards ensuring the availability of quality seeds for Nigeria farmers.
NASC Pledges To Punish Producers of Substandard Seeds
Dr Phillip Olusegun Ojo, the Director-General, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), remarked that the agency under his watch has made remarkable achievements in the Introduction of a plant variety protection (PVP) law in Nigeria (PVP Act 2021), Implementation of the turn-key electronic seed authentication system (Called the SeedCodex) among others.
