Nigeria

Last updated: April 2019
  • Region Western and Central Africa
  • UPOV membership status In contact with the UPOV office for assistance in developing laws based on the UPOV Convention
  • Participation in OECD Seed Schemes No
  • ISTA-accredited member laboratories No
  • GM crop approval for cultivation No
  • Law on Plant Variety Protection No
Seed sector in Nigeria:

Unlike many countries in West Africa, the role of the private sector has been vital to the transition and growth of Nigeria’s seed industry. Private sector participation in breeding and variety release has led to an increase in its share of variety release in the country, which the public sector dominated until 2000. The private sector now constitutes 13% of variety releases in the seed market, with the public seed sector constituting the remaining 87%.

According to the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), there are 157 registered seed companies in Nigeria, with the majority producing fewer than 1,000 metric tons of seeds annually. The Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria is the country’s main private seed trading body, with approximately 67 registered members.

There is no plant variety protection law currently operational in Nigeria, but the country has a biosafety agency law, which is considered a fast-track for commercialization of genetically modified (GM) crops. Although the country is a signatory to various treaties of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), work is ongoing to develop a model plant variety law that will be in line with the UPOV 1991 convention. Confined testing of GM crops is currently underway.

The public seed sector is run by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), the NASC, which works under the FMARD, and the Crop Varieties Registration and Release Committee (CVRRC). The CVRRC is responsible for varietal evaluation, release and registration in the national catalog of registered and released varieties.

The national agricultural research institutes (NARIs) play a significant role in the agriculture sector. NARIs, among others, produce foundation seed. Moreover, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research is an important player in Nigeria, with ongoing activities through the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and AfricaRice.

Observations

There are 24 index companies in Nigeria—the highest number in the region. Four companies are headquartered in Nigeria, four have breeding activities in the country, and 10 have testing locations.

Six companies have seed production activities in Nigeria, of which four involve smallholder farmers, while five companies have processing facilities in the country.

Of the 24 index companies, only nine accompany their sales activities with extension services. Technisem and Value Seeds stand out with 30 technical staff members involved in extension services.

Index company activities identified in Nigeria
Company Crops in portfolio Company activities in country
Companies selected for
the Access to Seeds Index
Field
crops
Vegetables Breeding
location
Testing
location
Seed
production
Processing
location
Sales Extension
services
Bayer
Bejo
Charoen Pokphand
Corteva Agriscience
Da-Allgreen Seeds  **
East African Seed
East-West Seed
Enza Zaden
GAWAL
Maslaha Seeds  **  *
Monsanto
NAFASO
Nongwoo Bio
Pop Vriend Seeds
Premier Seed  **  *
Rijk Zwaan
Sakata
Seed Co  *
Soprosa
Syngenta  ***
Technisem
Value Seeds  **  *
  • * Company involves smallholder farmers in seed production activities
  • ** Company headquartered in Nigeria
  • *** Based on company data, sales activities include seeds and/or crop protection products

Other index companies are also active in the country. However, country-specific information for these companies is not available or was provided under a non-disclosure agreement.

Other companies identified in the regional landscaping study and their activities.

Company Crops in portfolio Company activities in country
Field
crops
Vegetable
crops
Breeding
location
Seed
production
Sales
ITN HYDROMAK
Savannah Seeds
JAMMYNAGARI Seed

Leading seed producing cooperatives highlighted in cooperative study

Company Crops in portfolio Company activities in country
Field
crops
Vegetable
crops
Testing
location
Seed
production
Sales
Jirkur Seed Cooperative Society
Badala Azare Farmers' Cooperative Society
Agriculture Graduates Association of Nigeria (AGAN)