A workshop on “Appropriating biotechnology for investment opportunities in Nigeria” was held in Sokoto on Thursday, 20 July. The Sokoto State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Saddiq Garba Abubakar, on behalf of the Executive Governor, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa, declared the workshop open.
Dr Christian Fatokun, NABP Coordinator, said the project was laying the foundation for a sustainable biotechnology program in Nigeria by building institutional and scientific capacity to conduct research, implement priority regulatory guidelines and policies to create an environment for biotechnology development, and create awareness of the benefits of biotechnology. He said the focus of NABP in northwestern Nigeria was the improvement of cowpea because the protein-rich crop is a staple food for people in the area. IITA has the world’s largest collection of cowpea germplasm in its genebank, more than 16 000 accessions, or plant samples. IITA collaborates with the Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, where training is sponsored by NABP to improve the crop. “The major pests attacking cowpea plants are flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti), pod borer (Maruca vitrata), pod sucking bugs, and storage weevils (Callosobruchus maculatus) which damage stored cowpea. Efforts to breed resistance to these pests through conventional breeding have proved abortive, hence the need to apply biotechnology”, he stated. FAO estimated that 3.3 million tonnes of cowpea dry grains were produced worldwide in 2000. Nigeria produced 2.1 million tonnes, making it the world’s largest producer, followed by Niger (650 000 tonnes), and Mali (110 000 tonnes). He explained that with biotechnology application, cowpea yield would be higher, ensuring a better income for the rural dwellers. “Reducing insect and pest damage to cowpea will, no doubt, give a boost to food security and poverty eradication not only in Nigeria but also in neighboring major cowpea producing countries such as Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.”
The workshop was organized by IITA, NABP, NABDA, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), the Sokoto State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and sponsored by USAID. The workshop brought more than 200 participants together from Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, and Zamfara States.
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