By Rasheeda Hamidu
The Government of Japan has committed about ¥587 million ($3.5 million) to strengthen rice seed production in Nigeria and improve food security through enhanced research, mechanisation and seed-processing capacity.
The Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Hideo Suzuki, disclosed this on Monday at the handover ceremony of the Project for the Enhancement of Rice Seeds Production System at the National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Niger State.
Suzuki said the project would strengthen NCRI’s capacity to produce high-quality breeder and foundation seeds, improving the supply of certified planting materials to farmers.
According to Suzuki, reliable access to quality seeds is essential for improved farming technologies and agronomic practices to translate into higher productivity and yields.
The ambassador said the intervention supports Nigeria’s Second National Rice Development Strategy, which targets a doubling of domestic rice production between 2020 and 2030.
Suzuki said the Japanese grant would provide modern agricultural equipment to NCRI headquarters and its outstations in Niger and Oyo states to improve seed cultivation and production.
The equipment includes 20 medium-sized tractors, three rice transplanters, four small combine harvesters and two excavators, alongside seed-processing and laboratory equipment.
Suzuki added that the project would provide four constant-temperature germination testers, three automatic weather observation systems and seven small flat drying machines to strengthen seed testing and post-harvest processing.
He said the intervention also includes technical assistance, equipment operation and maintenance training and institutional capacity development to ensure the sustainability of the project.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi-Abdullahi, commended Japan and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for supporting Nigeria’s agricultural development.
Abdullahi described the intervention as timely and strategic, saying it would strengthen rice seed production and mechanisation while addressing gaps in the rice value chain.
The minister said food security should be treated as an issue of national security and economic sovereignty because of its importance to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
JICA Nigeria Chief Representative, Keiji Ishigame, said the agency launched the Coalition for African Rice Development (CARD) in 2008 with partners to help African countries increase rice production and reduce dependence on imports.
Ishigame said Nigeria’s participation in CARD had supported the development of the National Rice Development Strategy II, which provides a framework for improving productivity, seed systems, mechanisation and value-chain development.
According to Ishigame, JICA’s support for Nigeria’s rice sector has expanded to production, post-harvest management, marketing, agricultural extension, institutional strengthening and policy development.
NCRI Executive Director, Mohammed Ndagi-Ishaq, said the intervention had improved the institute’s capacity to produce rice seeds through the provision of modern machinery and seed-processing equipment.
Ndagi-Ishaq added that NCRI had developed and released high-yielding and climate-resilient crop varieties, including zinc-biofortified rice varieties.
Niger State Governor Umaru Bago, represented by the Managing Director of the Niger Agricultural and Mechanisation Development Authority, Muhammed Baba, reaffirmed the state government’s support for initiatives aimed at improving rice seed production and food security.
NatureNews notes that stronger seed systems can support climate-resilient agriculture by improving farmers’ access to planting materials adapted to local production conditions.
NatureNews reports that sustained investment in seed research, agricultural technology and farmer access to quality planting materials remains important to strengthening Nigeria’s food security and reducing pressure on rice imports.
