The National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) in partnership with Crop Trust and other stakeholders in Nigeria’s food chain, on Wednesday inaugurated the Power of Diversity Funding Facility (PDFF) project to promote opportunity crops
The initiative, which has a complement of researchers, academics, breeders and other relevant stakeholders in the Nigeria food chain working together, aims to build sustainable, diverse and climate-smart food systems across Nigeria.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the initiative was inaugurated at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan.
The project, a collaboration of the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Crop Trust as well as Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, is sponsored by the German and Irish governments.
Speaking at the event, Dr Anthony Okere, Director, NACGRAB, said that the centre remained committed to conserving, characterising and promoting Nigeria’s rich plant genetic resources for food and agricultural advancement through collaborative and research-driven initiatives.
He described genetic diversity as the foundation of Nigeria’s agricultural future, stressing that crop selection under the Power of Diversity Funding Facility (PDFF) project was key to ensuring effective use of donor resources.
Okere said that PDFF symbolises renewed commitment to a resilient agricultural future, while opportunity crops were key to building sustainable, diverse and climate-smart food systems across Nigeria.
In his remarks, Nico Willems-Possen, Project Coordinator, Crop Trust, said the PDFF project was a five-year initiative funded by the German and Irish governments to promote opportunity crops neglected in research and agricultural policies.
He said that the project would strengthen conservation, consumer awareness, and nutritional education around these crops, while working with gene banks to preserve their genetic diversity for future use.
Willems-Possen said that the Crop Trust remained committed to its partnership with NACGRAB and other stakeholders to ensure that resilient crops are better utilised for long-term agricultural sustainability.
Also, Nuhu Adamu Kilishi, Director and Head of the Nutrition and Food Safety Department, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, described the inauguration of the PDFF as timely,.
According to him, it aligned with national food security goals and the need to enhance crop power and resilience in Nigeria.
Kilishi said that crop selection would focus on production advantage, gestation period, and benefit, adding that over 50 crops are viable in Nigeria and 38 value chains already developed.
He pledged the ministry’s support in scaling up other crops beyond the two selected for PDFF, ensuring a robust and inclusive approach to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation strategy.
In her remarks, Mariam Aba Daud from Lake Chad Research Institute, commended the diverse participation of researchers, breeders, academics, and other stakeholders, describing the workshop as one capable of yielding highly beneficial and impactful outcomes.
She acknowledged the impact of climate change on agriculture, describing millet as a climate-resilient crop that holds promise for adaptation and sustainability in vulnerable regions like the Lake Chad basin.
Aba Daud urged the Nigerian government to adopt and replicate the workshop’s model for other opportunity crops, leveraging the support of international donors for long-term agricultural development.
Dr Sunday Aladele, Research Director, NACGRAB, said the workshop came at a critical time, as Nigeria and the world grapple with worsening food and nutrition security challenges exacerbated by climate and population pressures.
He highlighted Nigeria’s abundance of opportunity but nutritious crops, calling on the federal government to emulate Germany and Ireland by investing in similar strategic crop initiatives.
