Seed Sector Table for Nigeria now on balanced legs, says NASC-DG

• As Council celebrates New Plant Variety Protection Law, gears towards full implementation
• PVP law act to increase Productivity, income generation- Ojo
• Council to set up a financial PVP office for easy access, operations

The National Agricultural Seed Council, NASC, has disclosed that the Plant Variety Protection Law has officially come into fusion through the support of President Muhammadu Buhari who recently accented to the bill passed by the National Assembly.

The Director General of the council, Dr. Philip Ojo in an interactive section with the media on Monday, revealed that the newly introduced Plant Variety Protection Act 2021 will provide protection which will increase and encourage productivity, income generation and a development of superior plant varieties with high yield potentials.

He said: “I am happy to announce that our foremost expectation of the passage of this law and its assent by Mr. President has been met today, this to us is a very significant achievement, as efforts made during successive governments to bring forward the topic of intellectual protections for plants varieties in Nigeria were unsuccessful but today the current government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has just made history with the introduction of this law.

“The benefit of this law to us in Nigeria consists of the contribution of plant breeding to the Nigerian Agricultural Sector, our farmers’ fields will begin to have superior yielding, stress tolerant, disease resistance, climate smart and input varieties which will be introduced by innovative breeders both from the public and the private sector in few years to come. In addition to the above, we will begin to witness efficient land use and reduced food cost as a result of the increased productivity from cultivated hectares across the country.

“We have already commenced actions to set up a financial PVP office that will be capable to receive and process applications for the granting of a PVP law in Nigeria from anywhere in the World. We are also working to develop supporting regulations that will help implement the ACT and will continue to collaborate with partners both locally and internationally to ensure at we complete the process of becoming a full member of the international Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plats (UPOV).Nigeria and Ghana are closely following each other in the effort to become the next new member of UPOV to join Kenya, Morrocco, Tunisia, others who are already members of UPOV.

Ojo however thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, Honorable Minister of Agriculture, leadership of the Seed Industry, Board Members of the council and their development partners for their unflinching support in the successful delivery and fulfillment of the law, stating that through the assent of the law the  seed sector table for Nigeria is now on balanced legs.