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When Nigerians discuss food security, the conversation often centers on fertilizer, tractors, irrigation and the huge volumes of food imported into the country. These are important concerns.
But one essential foundation of agriculture is frequently overlooked: “Seeds and plant genetic resources”.
Without diverse, healthy and climate-resilient varieties of seeds and plant genetic resources, Nigeria cannot sustainably feed its growing population.
This is why the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, commonly known as “the Plant Treaty” matters so much to Nigeria. Its Multilateral System of Access and Benefit-Sharing (MLS) offers the country an important opportunity to strengthen agricultural research, develop better crop varieties and build a more resilient food system.
The Multilateral System provides a transparent framework through which countries, researchers and plant breeders can access a shared pool of plant genetic resources for conservation, research, breeding and training. Access is facilitated through a Standard Material Transfer Agreement, which helps reduce administrative barriers and transaction costs while ensuring that benefits arising from the use of these resources are shared fairly.
Nigeria initially signed the Plant Treaty on 10 June 2002, then ratified it on 6 September 2022, officially becoming a Contracting Party on 5 December 2022. This means that Nigeria is committed to meeting the Treaty’s obligations, including implementing the Multilateral System.
In practical terms, the Multilateral System gives Nigerian researchers and breeders access to genetic resources that can help develop crops suited to the country’s diverse agroecology. These materials are the building blocks for varieties that can produce higher yields, early maturity, withstand drought and flooding, resist pests and diseases, and provide better nutritional value.
It is urgent to take advantage of the opportunities it offers because Nigerian farmers are facing increasingly difficult conditions. Erratic rainfall, drought, flooding, rising temperatures, soil degradation, pests and crop diseases are already affecting production. Climate change is making these challenges more severe.
If Nigeria is serious about feeding itself, it must invest in crops that can survive these pressures.For maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, millet, cowpea, cassava and other staples of the crops included into the Multilateral System, wider access to plant genetic resources could accelerate the development of improved varieties. The outcome could be more reliable harvests, lower production losses, reduced food prices and better incomes for farmers. In the long term, stronger domestic production could also reduce Nigeria’s dependence on food imports.
The benefits extend beyond just producing more food. Such food will be also more nutritious and diverse.Nigeria’s food system depends heavily on a limited number of major staples, while many indigenous grains, legumes, roots, tubers, fruits and vegetables remain underutilized. Supporting these crops can improve diets, promote local food cultures and contribute to the fight against malnutrition. Crop diversity is also a form of insurance. When farmers depend on only one or two varieties, a disease outbreak, pest attack or extreme weather event can destroy much of the harvest. Access to a wider range of crops and varieties spreads risk and makes households, communities and the national food system more resilient.
Farmers and local communities must remain at the center of this effort. For generations, they have selected, conserved and adapted seeds to suit local soils, climates and food preferences. Their knowledge and practices have helped preserve the genetic diversity that researchers now need to develop the crops of the future.
The Plant Treaty recognizes the contributions of farmers and communities. Benefit-sharing should therefore support farmer-led conservation, community seed systems, training, technology transfer and local research. Women farmers deserve particular attention because they play a significant role in seed selection, storage and management, as well as in maintaining household food diversity through backyard gardens and small-scale farming.
Nigeria has already taken a significant step towards implementing its obligations. A national policy has been developed to guide the implementation of the Plant Treaty’s Multilateral System and to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of plant genetic resources, in line with the Treaty and Nigeria’s national interests.
The policy is expected to facilitate access to diverse germplasm, strengthen crop-improvement and breeding programs, support conservation and farmers’ rights, and channel benefit-sharing funds and international cooperation towards Nigeria’s priorities.
The process was facilitated by the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, which serves as Nigeria’s national focal point and National Competent Authority for the Plant Treaty. It involved broad participation and support from the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, national agricultural research institutes (NARIs), universities, researchers, breeders, farmers, nongovernmental organizations, private seed companies and other relevant stakeholders.
The policy was validated by national and international stakeholders on 21 August 2024. This broad participation is important because implementation cannot be left to government alone. It requires sustained cooperation among public institutions, research organizations, universities, farmers, seed companies, civil society and local communities.
If properly implemented, the Multilateral System could also create economic opportunities. Improved varieties can increase farm productivity, support agro-processing and stimulate new value chains based on indigenous and underutilized crops. These opportunities can raise rural incomes, create jobs and strengthen local economies.
However, access to genetic resources alone will not solve Nigeria’s food crisis. The country must invest in research, genebank conservation, seed multiplication, farmer education and extension services. New varieties must be tested under real farming conditions and developed in consultation with the farmers who will use them.
Benefit-sharing must also be fair, transparent and accountable. Nigeria should not only seek access to genetic resources from other countries; it must also protect and promote the value of its own plant genetic resources and the knowledge of its farming communities.The Multilateral System should not be treated as a distant international arrangement meant only for scientists and government officials. It is directly connected to the food Nigerians eat, the crops farmers grow and the country’s ability to withstand climate and economic shocks.
Nigeria now needs to move urgently from policy development to implementation. Government agencies should establish clear procedures, strengthen institutional coordination, fund research and conservation, and ensure that farmers and communities can participate meaningfully in the system and its implementation at the national level.
Implementing the Multilateral System is not merely an international obligation. It is a practical tool for achieving food and nutrition security, promoting agricultural innovation, protecting biodiversity and advancing inclusive economic growth.Nigeria’s food future begins with the diversity, quality and accessibility of its plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The time to unlock that potential is now.
Nigeria can also benefit from the exchange of plant genetic resource-related information in the Global Information System, technology transfer, training and capacity-building under the Plant Treaty. Such support can improve the country’s genebanks, laboratories, breeding programs, seed systems and extension services. It can also help conserve local varieties that are disappearing due to climate change, land degradation and the growing dependence on a narrow range of commercial seeds.
Adetiloye Ibidunni S. (Ph.D)
Expert in plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA),
National Center for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB),
Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria.
PMB 5382, NACGRAB, Moor plantation Apata, Ibadan.
08034221101 Ibidun200za@yahoo.co.uk
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