President Buhari signs variety bill into law

Finally, the long awaited plant variety protection bill has been signed into a law by President Muhammadu Buhari. This was contained in press release signed and made available yesterday by the chairman, House committee on Agric colleges and Research Institutes and sponsor of the bill, Hon. Munir Dan Agundi.

It was stated in the  release that the signing of the bill into an act is a reflection of commitment by this administration to repositioning the economy with proactive agricultural sector being driven by improved technologies adding that ‘’ you may recall that all efforts made by the previous administration to reform the agricultural sector could not see the light of the day due to lack of political will, but during the present administration, the President assented to the National Fertilizer and quality (Control) act 2019, National agricultural seeds council act, 2019, and the plant variety protection act, 2021 as part of the government commitment in ensuring that the agricultural sector is totally reformed’’

The statement also pointed that the Act would be able to ‘’ create a window for the protection of plant varieties in Nigeria and provides recognition and proper remuneration for the breeders who develop these varieties’’, adding that farmers in the country will be availed access to wide varieties of improved seeds towards agriculture commercialization.