Abuja Stakeholders Promote Local Seed Production Initiative

On October 17, stakeholders gathered in Abuja for a World Food Day media briefing, where they called for Nigeria to reduce its dependence on foreign seeds and invest in local seed production, organic farming, and household food cultivation. The initiative, titled ‘Let’s Go Planting,’ was organized by the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR) in collaboration with the Loveworld Ministry of Food Technology Sovereignty.

Segun Adebayo, the Deputy Director of CEFSAR, warned that reliance on external suppliers for seeds could undermine food sovereignty, stating that while food may be available, true sovereignty is compromised without local production. Pastor Tom Obiazi, the Director of the Department of Agriculture at the Loveworld Ministry, raised concerns about the use of pesticides and agricultural chemicals.

Chike Okafor, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Nutrition and Food Security, reaffirmed the legislature's commitment to addressing malnutrition and enhancing the country's food and nutrition security framework.