President Muhammadu Buhari has signed into law the Plant Variety Protection Act 2021 to create a window for the protection of plant varieties in Nigeria.
The Sponsor of the Act, and Member of the house of Representatives from Kano, Alh Munir Dan-Agundi said the law would provide recognition and proper remuneration for the breeders who develop varieties.
He explained that the law would also introduce the long awaited game changing tool for agricultural research to create meaningful impact in the nation’s agricultural industry.
While commending the President for his timely intervention in the Agricultural Sector reforms and addressing concerns of Nigerians to diversify the economy through agriculture, the lawmaker said the signing of the law was part of government’s commitment in ensuring that the Agricultural sector is totally reformed.
Dan-Agundi said all efforts made by previous administrations to reform the Agricultural sector could not see the light of the day due to lack of political will, adding that President Buhari had so far assented to the National Fertilizer and Quality (Control) Act, 2019; National Agricultural Seeds Council Act, 2019: and the Plant Varity Protection Act, 2021 as part of government commitment in ensuring that the Agricultural sector is totally reformed.
According to him, Nigeria presently has such low and declining levels of investment in Agricultural Research and Development that the effectiveness of the nation’s agricultural Research and Development in meeting food security needs is questionable, particularly in the seed sector.
He said there was growing concern about the ability of African agriculture research and development systems to respond to current and emerging development challenges.
RADIO NIGERIA