NASC to Institutionalise DNA-Based Crop Variety Monitoring

The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) says it will institutionalise DNA-based crop variety monitoring to strengthen Nigeria’s seed system, improve food security and ensure farmers have access to genuine improved seed varieties.
Director-General of NASC, Dr. Fatuhu Mohammed, made this known at the final meeting of the National Executive Steering Committee and Focal Points of the Projector in Abuja. He said the project has improved the monitoring of crop variety adoption by combining DNA fingerprinting with household surveys to generate reliable data for agricultural planning.

According to him, the data generated will support evidence-based policymaking, seed system development, varietal improvement and increased agricultural productivity. He added that NASC has established a Varietal Monitoring Unit and data governance framework to sustain the gains of the project.
Dr. Mohammed also disclosed that Nigeria will build on the initiative through the Varietal Intelligence for Seed Systems Transformation in Africa (ViSTA) Project, which aims to strengthen varietal intelligence systems across the continent.
He noted that NASC will play a key role in implementing the West Africa Regional Rice Genetic Reference Library while supporting seed quality assurance, quality control and regional data governance to enhance agricultural development.