By: Sam Ogijo,
Dr. Khalid Ishiak, the Acting Director-General (D-G) of the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has reiterated that, Potato is a very important crop and Nigeria needs to also align with the world in potato production.
He said, NASC is ready to support this drive by ensuring quality seeds are available, while supporting the budding potato seed industry.
Dr. Khalid Ishiak the Acting Director-General of the National Agricultural Seeds Council said this in a goodwill message at the launch of the National Potato Strategy, held at Crispan Hotel, Jos, Plateau State on the 7th September, 2023.
The event, according to the Acting D-G, marks a significant milestone in the development of potato production in Nigeria.
Adding that, “The competence and capacity of GIZ, CIP and its other partners to anchor the programme to deliver the anticipated result was never in doubt. NASC as a regulatory agency for the Seed Industry in Nigeria is proud to align with the Potato Strategy group to see to the successful delivery of expected result as far as the strategic road map for development of Potato is concerned”.
The D-G took time to commend the Honorable Minister of Agriculture and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for the passion and articulation for championing the innovation, with the ultimate aim of attaining food security aspiration of Mr. President.
He pledged that, “NASC will not leave any stone unturned till a virile potato sector in Nigeria is achieved by ensuring that quality potato seeds are available to farmers”.
Earlier, a Director in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Engr. Abdullahi Garba Abubakar in his opening remarks emphasized that, the National Potato Strategy that is launched was borne out of the collaborative efforts between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, German Cooperation’s Global Programme Green Innovation Center for the Agriculture and Food Sector-Nigeria” (GIAE), in a solid regulatory and legal framework which would profit the actors in the Potato Industry”.
You would recall that, the National Potato Strategy (NPS) 2023 to 2028 is a one-stop document offering insights into the challenges, opportunities and strategies on repositioning the Nigeria Potato value chain to become an effective and commercially viable industry in the continent and global stage at large.
The essence of the strategy is to ensure sustainable food and nutrition security with a view to catalyzing the rapid transformation of the Nigerian potato sub- sector into a major exporter of its products. The development of the 2023-2028 Nigeria National Strategy was made possible by the generous by the generous financial support from GIZ’s Global programme “Green Innovation Centers’ for the Agriculture and Food Sector-Nigeria” (GIAE), and the Global Potato Value Chain working Group (GPVCWG) initiative, technical support and guidance from the International Potato Center (CIP) Nairobi Kenya.
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