Editorial- Need to properly position NACGRAB in the appropriate ministry

The National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has a very strategic role in the conservation and sustainable utilization of genetic animals and plant crops for proper census of all the registered varieties that go out to the farmers being the custodian of the genetic characters and history strains of all seeds for agricultural economic development.

It is obvious that the role of this Centre is more conspicuous in the agricultural sector than the ministry where is presently domiciled which to many stakeholders have been seen to be wrongly placed considering the enormity of the role it has to play in the agricultural sector especially in the face of proper record of genetic, character and history of agricultural produce in the country.

At the last meeting of National committee on Naming, Registration and Release of crops, livestock and fisheries varieties held in December 2014, some of the major issues pointed to the fact that NACGRAB would have better performed in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development based on the fact that majority of its mandate function and affiliated agencies are in the same place. Although we are not ignorant of the fact that the Centre is also a science based Institute especially in the face of biotechnology practice in the world which is yet to be signed into law in Nigeria for official operation, but we cannot also run away from the fact that the centre may have performed better if properly placed where it will be well supported financially for national development, otherwise its establishment by being wrongly placed may not worth the salt.

It is obvious from point of argument of stakeholders that this misplacement may have hindered more of its responsibility mandates especially in agencies affiliation which we are of the view must not be allowed to continue especially in the face of most nations of the world now giving prominent to its agricultural development in terms of ensuring the record of seeds genetic character and history of both crops and animals that entered their countries thereby checkmating influx of diseases as well as sub standard.

Scientists from various citadels of learning and agencies in the agricultural sector including the private sector in the course of brainstorming for better performance of the Centre had suggested the movement of this Centre to the federal Ministry of agricultural saying that the appropriation will enhance its performance in terms of righty affiliation with other agencies like NAQS so as to ensure more efficiency and better performance  to Federal Government’s agricultural programme of food security and wealth creation with employment generation.

In the face of doing things differently and rightly in this country, all mechanism must be put in place by ensuring that agencies, parastastal, and centers like NACGRAB are properly positioned in a way that will ensure it effectiveness especially in the keeping of animals’ genetic characters and strains so as to checkmate many of them going into extinction and more so that many of the private sector are not willingly ready to release their strain due to lack of effective property right in the country which stakeholders pointed that the minister of Agric, Dr. Adesina is vigorously pursuing towards  winning the confidence of the multi nationals in the development of agriculture in Nigeria.

For the purpose of posterity of our future agricultural development with dwindling of crude oil in the world market and its impact already biting , we are of the view that government must not lag in its spirit of agency rationalization to ensure that NACGRAB is properly placed in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development where majority of its working partners like IITA, NARIs, Farmers, ICRISAT, Rice Africa, NAQS, NASC, WAAPP and Seeds Companies can be easily accessed for better service delivery and funding through agricultural research grants thereby becoming more active and relevant in contributing to the development of agriculture and food security in the county.