{"id":12974,"date":"2026-06-20T12:26:03","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/nigerian-government-receives-blueprint-for-doubling-maize-production\/"},"modified":"2026-06-20T12:26:03","modified_gmt":"2026-06-20T12:26:03","slug":"nigerian-government-receives-blueprint-for-doubling-maize-production","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/nigerian-government-receives-blueprint-for-doubling-maize-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Nigerian government receives blueprint for doubling maize production"},"content":{"rendered":"

Maize researchers last week presented a blueprint on doubling maize production to the Nigerian government. The blueprint, which contained empirical facts and recommendations, proved that the oil-rich nation could double maize production and called for the strengthening of the country\u2019s seed system to tackle the challenges of a food crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe government should take the recommendations seriously because if implemented and sustained, they would bring solutions to the food crisis especially as it concerns maize production,\u201d says Prof MA Fakorede, a maize researcher at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Nigeria, maize is among the most important crops, but poor seed supply, inefficient marketing system, and low investment in research are among the factors that have limited production. Current production is about 8 million tons but the research, which involved more than 1000 farmers, raised yield per hectare to about 4.2 tons from 1.5 tons, suggesting that national production could hit 20 million tons if the recommendations are scaled-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Oyewole Ajala, Team Leader and IITA Maize Breeder, appealed for government support for the seed sector to overcome the limitation poised by poor seed supply to farmers. \u201cNigeria today is the only country in West Africa that has viable private seed companies and they need support and backstopping to consistently supply quality seeds to farmers,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Image\"<\/a>
Some of the maize research team holding talks with the Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources, Honorable Fidelia Njeze (left) in Abuja.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria\u2019s Minister of State for Agriculture and Water Resources, Honorable Fidelia Njeze, lauded the research team for its efforts. According to her, apart from ensuring food security, the research is in line with the federal government\u2019s seven-point agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Doubling Maize in Nigeria project began in 2006 and was funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development. Partners included IITA, the Institute of Agricultural Research & Training (IAR&T), National Rice\/Maize Center – National Accelerated Food Production Program, Institute for Agricultural Research, National Cereals Research Institute, the University of Ilorin and the National Agricultural Extension & Research Liaison Services (NAERLS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The team deployed several improved maize varieties that were drought-tolerant, low nitrogen-tolerant, Striga-tolerant, stemborer-resistant and early maturing to address the challenge faced by resource-poor farmers in maize production. Other recommendations made by the researchers included calls for maintenance of government buy-back policy, extensive field management training of extension, seed company and staff of other agencies engaged in maize promotion, scaling-up of promising production technologies, generation of accurate data through appropriate data mining and actual generation, investment in production and promotion of labour saving tools, and continued investment in postharvest research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

###<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Oyewole Ajala, o.ajala@cgiar.org<\/a>
S\u00e9lectionneur de ma\u00efs
IITA-Ibadan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeffrey T. Oliver, o.jeffrey@cgiar.org<\/a>
Charg\u00e9 de communication d'entreprise (international)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Godwin Atser, g.atser@cgiar.org<\/a>
Charg\u00e9 de la communication d'entreprise (Afrique de l'Ouest)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bureau de la communication
IITA \u2013 Si\u00e8ge
Ibadan, Nig\u00e9ria
URL : www.iita.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00c0 propos de l'IITA<\/b>
L'Afrique est confront\u00e9e \u00e0 des probl\u00e8mes complexes qui minent l'agriculture et la vie des populations. Nous d\u00e9veloppons des solutions agricoles avec nos partenaires pour lutter contre la faim et la pauvret\u00e9. Notre recherche pour le d\u00e9veloppement (R4D), maintes fois r\u00e9compens\u00e9e, repose sur une r\u00e9flexion cibl\u00e9e et autoris\u00e9e, ancr\u00e9e dans les besoins de d\u00e9veloppement de l'Afrique subsaharienne. Nous travaillons avec des partenaires en Afrique et au-del\u00e0 pour r\u00e9duire les risques pour les producteurs et les consommateurs, am\u00e9liorer la qualit\u00e9 et la productivit\u00e9 des cultures, et g\u00e9n\u00e9rer de la richesse gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 l'agriculture. L'IITA est une organisation internationale de recherche pour le d\u00e9veloppement sans but lucratif, cr\u00e9\u00e9e en 1967, dirig\u00e9e par un Conseil d'administration et soutenue principalement par le CGIAR.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Maize researchers last week presented a blueprint on doubling maize production to the Nigerian government. The blueprint, which contained empirical facts and recommendations, proved that the oil-rich nation could double maize production and called for the strengthening of the country\u2019s seed system to tackle the challenges of a food crisis.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[32],"news-type":[],"hub":[],"crop":[68],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[187],"class_list":["post-12974","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","hentry","location-nigeria","crop-maize","item-year-187"],"yoast_head":"\nNigerian government receives blueprint for doubling maize production - IITA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/nigerian-government-receives-blueprint-for-doubling-maize-production\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Nigerian government receives blueprint for doubling maize production - IITA\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Maize researchers last week presented a blueprint on doubling maize production to the Nigerian government. 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