Key stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector have called for stronger collaboration, certified organic seed production and effective Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) certification as critical pathways to achieving food security and sustainable development.
A cross section of participants at the event.
The call was made during a training of over 100 stakeholders on Community Seed Production and Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) Certification in an Organic System held recently at the ICAN Hall of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Umuahia, Abia State.
Prof. Jude Obi President, NOAN
In his keynote speech, the President of the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN), Prof. Jude Obi, stressed that reclaiming Nigeria’s seed integrity is central to national food security.
He explained that the training was specifically designed to build capacity in certified organic seed production rather than merely promote organic agriculture as a concept.
NOAN President; Prof. Jude Obi, making his keynote speech at the event.
“The origin of food security and continuity lies in the seed. Whoever controls your seeds controls your economy and can determine whether you thrive or not,” he said.
Prof. Obi noted that many indigenous seeds have been adulterated over time, limiting farmers’ ability to preserve and replant them. According to him, this has forced farmers into repeated purchases of planting materials, increasing production costs and weakening seed sovereignty.
He disclosed that NOAN has developed national standards for organic production under its Participatory Guarantee System (PGS), emphasizing that certification would be strictly compliance-based.
“If you conform to the standards, you are organic. If you do not, you are not,” he stated.
Prof. Ursula Ngozi Nosike Akanwa Vice-Chancellor, MOUAU Abia State, making her speech at the event.
The NOAN President added that similar trainings had earlier been held in Abuja and Ibadan, targeting participants from the northern and south-western regions, while the Umudike session focused on the South-East and South-South zones.
He said the initiative aims to strengthen community-based seed enterprises, improve farmer incomes, enhance consumer trust and promote environmentally sustainable farming systems.
Declaring the training open, the 7th Vice-Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Prof. Ursula Ngozi Akanwa, described the programme as a timely intervention aligned with youth empowerment, sustainability and national development.
She expressed appreciation to the organisers for choosing the university as the platform for her first public address since assuming office.
The Vice-Chancellor underscored the importance of youth participation in agriculture, noting that Nigeria’s future depends on preparing the next generation for productive engagement.
“There is no success without a successor. If our youths are showing interest in agriculture, then our future is bright,” she said.
Prof. Akanwa described seed production as fundamental to life, growth and continuity.
“The quality of any life — whether human or plant — depends on the quality of seeds. When we talk about seed production, we are talking about life, continuity and development,” she stated.
She commended NOAN President, Prof Obi, and the emphasis on monitoring and certification through PGS.
Prof. Akanwa who noted that proper supervision is essential to achieving a successful harvest, pledged institutional collaboration, assuring participants that the university has the land, manpower and technical capacity to support the initiative.
Mrs. Jane Igwe Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Abia state.
Also speaking, the Director General of the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Hon. Fatuhu Muhammed, emphasized the strategic role of quality seed systems in building resilient and trusted food systems.
Represented by the NASC Chief Agricultural Officer; Mr. Tayo Olayanju, he described seed as the foundation of innovation, resilience and economic opportunity in agriculture.
“At the foundation of every successful agricultural system lies one critical input — quality seed,” he said.
He noted that as Nigeria faces climate pressures, population growth and changing food preferences, sustainable and traceable production systems have become imperative.
The NASC boss highlighted the relevance of the Participatory Guarantee System as an inclusive, community-driven certification framework that enables smallholder farmers to access certified organic markets.
He also referenced the NASC Seed Act of 2019, which recognizes community-based seed production as a key strategy for bridging access gaps in underserved areas.
To improve agricultural planning, he disclosed that NASC is implementing the Institutionalizing Monitoring of Crop Variety Adoption through Genotyping (IMAGE) Project, which uses DNA fingerprinting technology to identify crop varieties grown by farmers and track adoption patterns.
According to him, over 120,000 metric tons of certified seeds have been distributed nationwide, benefiting millions of smallholder farmers and supporting the release of climate-resilient and pest-resistant varieties.
He, however, stressed that productivity must be balanced with sustainability.
“The future of agriculture will not be defined solely by how much we produce, but by how responsibly we produce it,” he said.
The training is expected to strengthen certified organic seed production networks, deepen community-based certification systems and advance agroecology as a viable pathway for sustainable food security in Nigeria.
