Recently,
the NASC in its effort to keep its workers abreast of relevant technologies in
quality commercial seeds multiplication has been organizing trainings in all
the six Geo political zone of the Federation for certification officers, youth corps members (Agric
graduates) and internal quality control officers of private accredited seed
companies who were taken through basic rudiment of seed field inspection,
certification and quality control for quality assurance of seeds to Nigerian
farmers thereby mitigating problems of seeds adulteration.
With the
improvement in the awareness of the use of high quality improved seeds and the
increase in the number of seed companies to over 100 in less than two years to
produce a required quantity of certified seeds drive to ATA/GES of this
administration, the need for capacitation and strengthening of NASC officials
to properly carry out its statutory responsibility of regulating the seed
system in the country cannot be over emphasized.
In his
address to the participants in the organized trainings, the NASC Coordinating
Director, Dr P. O Ojo said that the
effort of the present Federal Government administration through the ATA/GES has
positively changed the face of input supply in the country to more farmers are
getting improved seeds through the use of electronic wallet technology thereby
checkmating all the years of corruption
perpetrated in the distribution of subsidized inputs in Nigeria.
The
coordinating Director who thanked the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Adesina for
his support towards ensuring that NASC is been properly positioned to carry out
its statutory responsibilities adding
that the reality of increased number of seed companies has necessitated that
officials of NASC must be up and doing technically in the discharge of their
national responsibility for ensuring quality
seeds circulation by the private seed companies thereby following the policy of
government taking agriculture as business but not a developmental program. 
Dr Ojo said
that “ the use of improved quality and certified seed is very paramount to
achieving a hunger free nation through an agricultural sector that drives
income growth, accelerates achievement of food and nutritional security,
generates employment and transforms Nigeria to a leading player in the global
food market since prior to the transformation agenda, only 11% of farmers get
subsidized fertilizers distributed by the government but this has changed and
is one important improvement that had occurred in the sector with more jobs,
wealth and food security created”
Also in a
speech at the south west zone training, the Director of Finance and Administration
Chief E.O Omotoso enjoined participants to see the occasion as an opportunity
to learn and enhance knowledge in the job of seeds certification and quality
control while he advised trainees to desist from any form of quality compromise
occasioned by pressures from the seed companies. He also appreciated the Minister
of Agriculture and Rural Development for making funds available for the
training of the youth corpers and officials of NASC.
Some of the
topical issues at all the training centres include Protocols for internal
quality control during processing, processing and storage, Concept of seed quality
and Quality Assurance, Regulatory provisions for seed/planting materials
production and marketing, Concepts and procedure for certification, obligation
and responsibilities of seed certification officer,
Others are Agronomic practices in seed production, Seed
harvesting, processing, storage and distribution, Filling/ completion of field
inspection, registration of growers, seed testing form and documentation for
certification purposes and reporting, Demonstration and use of GPS, Procedure
and techniques for field inspection and seed sampling, testing technique and
reporting.
Speaking on
the topic “Protocol for Internal Quality Control during Processing and storage”
the NASC Acting Director, Quality Control, Mr. F.J Olonilua explained that the
concept is to increase perception on quality assurance for high improved seed
availability at farm level adding that the quality assurance is an integrated
and structured approach involving all the stakeholders to ensure sale and
distribution of quality seeds to farmers.
Mr. Olonilua
also added in another paper titled “regulatory provisions for seed/planting
materials and concept and procedure for certification “ that over 50%
improvement in agricultural productivity
come from the use of quality seed thereby emphasizing on the enforcement
of the minimum seed standard with stiff penalty for the violation of the Seed Act
stressing that the seed certification officers as matter of ensuring deployment
of improved quality seeds must work closely with the supply chain managers in the
states so as to be kept abreast of
various redemption centres of the GES for the purpose of effective monitoring.
At the
South-South meeting, the Director, Seed Certification, Mr. Bulus Sule enjoined
all the seeds certification officers and regional heads to be more responsive
to ensuring the deployment of only seed lots that meet the minimum standard to
redemption centres adding that punitive measures and appropriate punishment
would be taken against erring officers.
However the
comment from some of the participants at the end of the training raised
observations of improper and non conducive environment and storage condition
where seeds are subjected by some agro dealers thereby called for improvement
on seeds storage facilities and training of agro dealers on better handling of
inputs.
The total of
295 officers were trained in the 2014 NYSC training programme, and this
comprises of 120 internal quality control officers of private seed companies,
100 youth corpers and 75 seed certification and quality control officers of the
NASC.
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