Technocrat Media Nigeria
ABUJA – Muhammad Sabo Nanono, minister of agriculture and rural transformation says Nigeria is to embark on massive agricultural mechanisation in 774 local government councils.
The minister spoke at the event marking the unveiling of the plant variety protection act (PVP Act 2021).
He said the effort is to guarantee food production and security.
“There is no doubt about the fact that innovation and research hold a lot of keys to development. He remarked that enacting laws in Nigeria was always successful but implementation was always the problem.”
Mr. Nanono said the ministry is going to ensure the PVP Act is fully implemented.
Also speaking at the event, Munri Danagundi, chairman of house committee on agric colleges and institutions who is also the sponsor of the bill for the PVP law said, the Act is the beginning of new breakthrough for plant variety development in Nigeria.
The lawmaker said the national assembly worked very hard on the bill.
Philip Olusegun Ojo, director-general of National Agricultural Seeds Council said the legislation is an innovation been developed for the agricultural sector.
Mr. Ojo hampered on the importance of the law saying it will help farmers to increase crop yields and guarantee food security.
When asked on how much revenue the law will generate for the country, he responded “I can assure you that a lot of money is going to be generated by breeders, farmers and the government”.
“Let’s be thinking of between two to three billion naira annually”.
He added that seeds security is now assured. Private companies can now bring their genetics and new release of crops for improved yields to enhance food sufficiency and security.
The director-general highlighted regular stakeholders’ engagements as one of the keys to successful implementation of the law.
Gloria Ekpo who represented the director of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) said the new law directly affects the common as it help small and medium scale farmers and agricultural businesses to harness the opportunities provided by the Act.
She hinted that the Act also present new opportunities for plant breeders to do what they know how to do best as they now have intellectual property protection for their works.
Participants at the event we’re drawn from agricultural institutions, private and public companies, professional associations, and the media.
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