The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has said the new Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Act 2021 signed into law will lead to disease resistant, reduced food cost, field superior yield, stress tolerant, climate smart and input efficient varieties which will be introduced by innovative breeders from private and public sector.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday in a Abuja, the Director-General of NASC, Dr Philip Ojo on PVP Act 2021, said Nigerian farmers will experience field superior yielding, stress tolerant, disease resistant, climate smart and input efficient varieties which will be introduced by innovative breeders both from the public and the private sector in few years to come.
Ojo said that this in addition to the above, farmers will begin to witness efficient land use and reduced food cost as a result of the increased productivity from cultivated hectares across the country.
Ojo further said that missing law is now in place and requires only few finishings for Nigerians particularly farmers to begin to see the impactful transformation of the seeds sector on the nation’s agriculture space.
“If you all recall, at my first media interaction with you in the month of January, 2021, I listed as foremost our high expectation for the passage of this Law and its assent by Mr. President”.
“I am happy to announce that this expectation has been met today. This to us is a very significant achievement, as effort made during successive governments to bring forward the topic of intellectual protection for plants varieties in Nigeria were unsuccessful but today the current government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari has just made history with the introduction of this law”. Ojo said.
He further added that the above transformation will not happen without a push as NASC is committed to promote law that will protect seeds intellectual property for seed and plant breeders in Nigeria.
“The NASC under my able leadership is always ready to push and we have already started doing what is necessary to ensure that we do not only have the PVP Law but we implement it for the expected dividends to be delivered to the farmers and the entire Nigerians”.
