FG Reaffirms Commitment to Conserving Plant Genetic Resources for Food Security and Climate Resilience
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The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to conserving Nigeria’s rich plant genetic resources as a fundamental strategy for enhancing national food security, climate adaptation, and biodiversity preservation.
Speaking during a one-day advocacy workshop on Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Use, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, stressed that sustainable agriculture and long-term food systems depend on safeguarding the country’s plant diversity.
“Plant genetic resources are the backbone of our food systems,” Ogunbiyi said. “Their conservation is essential for food security, improving crop production, and enhancing farmers’ livelihoods.”
He highlighted Nigeria’s rich diversity in crops such as yam, cassava, maize, millet, rice, and sorghum, warning that this diversity is increasingly under threat due to inadequate conservation efforts, climate change, habitat destruction, and genetic erosion.
“In the face of rising global temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, and emerging pests, conserving plant genetic resources is no longer optional—it is imperative,” he stated.
Ogunbiyi identified two key challenges to conservation: the lack of awareness and institutional capacity, and the ongoing loss of genetic diversity. He emphasized that these resources hold centuries of accumulated farmer knowledge and represent critical tools for crop improvement and climate resilience.
The government, he said, is actively working to strengthen institutional frameworks, upgrade storage facilities, and scale up field collections across Nigeria’s agro-ecological zones. He also underscored Nigeria’s partnerships with international bodies including the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), African Union, and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
He spotlighted the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) as the national genebank and focal point for research, breeding, and conservation.
“This national genebank plays a critical role in conserving and making available plant genetic resources for sustainable agricultural development,” Ogunbiyi concluded.
