GOODWILL MESSAGE BY ERNEST ASSAH ASIEDU, CORAF/WECARD – WASP NATIONAL WORKSHOP ON SEED ACTION PLAN AND ALLIANCE FOR SEED INDUSTRY IN WEST AFRICA (ASIWA) CHELSEA HOTEL, ABUJA, NIGERIA 7&8 APRIL, 2016

ERNEST ASSAH ASIEDU

Dear Honorable Minister,

Representative of AGRA, President of SEEDAN, NIRSAL, CBN, ARCN, NABDA, NBMA, Development Partners, the Press, Ladies and Gentlemen

I bring you greetings from the Executive Director of CORAF/WECARD, Dr. AbdouTenkuano, the Regional Coordination Units of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) West Africa Seed Program (WASP).

We congratulate the Government and the People of Nigeria for their commitment in the implementation of the CAADP and ECOWAP over the past years had provided the policy directives, which has been reiterated by the recent two Malabo declaration of NEPAD-CAADP which took the challenges in the region into consideration as follows: (i) Commitment to accelerate Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods and (ii) Declaration on Nutrition Security for Inclusive Economic Growth and Sustainable Development in Africa. The first Declaration seeks among seven others to (i) commit to end hunger, including nutrition by 2025; (ii) commit to half poverty by 2025; (iii) commit to boosting African Trade in agricultural commodities and services, (iv) commit to enhancing resilience in livelihoods and production systems to climate variability and other shocks.

CORAF/WECARD recognizes the adjustments to the CAADP approaches in sustaining the CAADP momentum within the next 10 years (2014-2023) and thus responding to the ECOWAP+10 to increase agricultural productivity and competitiveness in West Africa. CORAF/WECARD mission is defined as: Sustainable Improvements to the Productivity, competitiveness and Markets of Agricultural Systems in West and Central Africa by Meeting the Key Demands of the Sub-regional Research System as expresses by Target Groups.

Increasing the use of improved seeds, fertilizer, IPM, soil water management, pre and post-harvest practices, climate information and market access, are critical in raising agricultural productivity and production in responding to the CAADP, ECOWAP and CORAF/WECARD and objectives. The WASP thus, capitalized on the opportunities provided by these policy environments for the implementation of the West Africa Seed Program in improving farmer access to quality certified seeds by addressing key constraints in the seed sector.

In 2015, West Africa supplied a total of 314,500 tons of seeds (rice, maize, sorghum, millet, cowpea and groundnuts), which was planted on 21% of land allocated to these crops. Out of the 114,000 tons of rice supplied Nigeria supplied 90,000 tons (79%) and out of the 108 tons of maize supplied in the region, Nigeria supplied75,000 (69%). I must commend SEEDAN for excellent job being done despite challenges faced.

In 2015, Nigeria was among the nine countries that supported Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea with foundation and certified seeds in the Post Ebola Agricultural Rehabilitation Programs. Nigeria also supported the Gambia with certified rice seeds. I must say that this support has contributed significantly in transforming the agricultural sectors in these countries, which is deeply appreciated by the respective governments.

In terms of the implementation of the ECOWAS Seed Regulation, Nigeria is among the countries that have shown significant advancements and has achieved 92% implementation. Nigeria has a strong quality control and certification system under the National Agricultural Seed Counciland plant breeding programs in churning out quality seeds of new and productive genetic materials.

In terms of the implementation of the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Program and the West Africa Seed Program, Niger ranks high as well.

Nigeria with high capacity in both the public and private sector is imparting in the region and the country continue to inspire the remaining ECOWAS Member States.

We believe that Nigeria can do more to help its citizens and beyond if investments in the seed sector is increased to support human, institutional and infrastructural capacity development in both the public and the private sectors. Nigeria could become a Regional Centre of Excellence in the regional seed sector within the near future to support skill development in Nigeria and in the region through for coaching of public and private sector personnelfrom other Member States.

The workshop will help identify key bottlenecks in the seed sector and also help find lasting solutions to them and within the spirit of the Alliance for Seed Industry in West Africa – Nigeria Affiliate help bring partners together in working in complementarities to create synergies.

I therefore entreat the Government of Nigeria, the Private Sector, Financial Institutions and Technical and Financial Partners to step up investments in the seed sector in pushing agricultural led socio-economic growth in Nigeria and in West Africa where over 60% of the 322 million inhabitants depend on agriculture bearing in mind that Nigeria constitute almost half of this population.

I take this opportunity to congratulate the organizers of the workshop (NASC, SEEDAN, WAAPP, WASP, AGRA, NARIs, Partners, etc.) and wish you a very successful workshop.

Long live Nigeria, Long live Africa.

Thank you.