By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA – THE National Agricultural Seed Council, NASC, Monday, commenced training of young graduates on Plant Variety Protection, PVC, in order to drive down the knowledge to other young people in the country.

The Acting Director General, NASC, Dr Ishiak Khalid, while declaring the 2025 Boot Camp for Youths on Plant Variety Protection in Abuja, explained that the ramping up awareness and advancing knowledge in the effective implementation of PVP framework in Nigeria.

Khalid who was represented by the Director, Director, Seed Certification and Quality Control, NASC, Ubandoma Hudu, said steady progress has been made to establish protection for new plant varieties, ensuring the sustainability and competitiveness of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The programme is organized by the Nigeria Plant Variety Protection Office, NPVPO, National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), and would end on February 14, 2025.

He said: “This week-long programme, running from the 10th to the 14th of February 2025, marks a significant milestone in our collective journey toward ramping up awareness and advancing knowledge in the effective implementation of the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) framework in Nigeria.
The journey we began in 2019 has brought us to these crucial moments.

“Over the years, we have made steady progress in our efforts to establish protection for new plant varieties, ensuring the sustainability and competitiveness of Nigeria’s agricultural sector through increased investment in plant breeding and innovation.

“Today, we are excited to have you here to advance your knowledge and understanding of the principles, key concepts, and practical application of plant Variety Protection based on the UPOV PVP system.
Participants, I would like to especially congratulate each of you.”

However, the Acting DG charged the participants to be committed to the training, “You have been carefully selected from a pool of over 77 applications from across the country, and you represent the next generation of champions for Plant Variety Protection in Nigeria.

“In reviewing your applications, we saw your passion, dedication, and potential — qualities that earned you a place in this Boot Camp. It is now your responsibility to carry forward the knowledge and skills you will gain here to support the growth of our agricultural landscape.

“I encourage you to take the learnings seriously, engage actively, and ask questions whenever clarity is needed. This is an invaluable opportunity, and I urge you to make the most of it.

“As we embark on this exciting week of learning, discussions, and practical activities, I want to assure you that Nigeria is fully committed to developing and enhancing our agricultural sector.

“The knowledge and insights you will gain during this Boot Camp are vital in shaping the future of Plant Variety Protection in our country. You are the future leaders who will carry this work forward, and we have full confidence in your abilities to drive meaningful change.”

On the sidelines of the Programme, the Acting Registrar, PVP Office, NASC, Dr Folarin Okelola said the participants are expected to spread the knowledge on PVP to other Nigerians, even on the social media.

“We expect all of them to go use social media, use what they learn here to go and start to train other youths, and also develop content which will also bring money for themselves.

“So that these youths will look at themselves as job creators and not job seekers, and where we have the effort. This is another means of exposing them to international trainings and capacity development and job creation”, Okelola added.

Also, the Country Director, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, Nigeria, Rufus Idris, represented by the Programme Officer, AGRA, Esther Ibrahim, said,
“We are having the population in agriculture aging, and so we also need young people to come into the landscape, not just young people but young people that are innovative, that are quick to move things.

“So we are happy to see that this is happening, and more youths are coming on board in agriculture and also going highly into tech, where they can take this campaign to the wilder world to know the reason why PVP is very important”, Idris said.

Meanwhile, one of the participants, an horticulturist, Mosa Shukurat, expressed excitement and optimism that, “Outside here, what I hope to use the information is to educate people, spread awareness about the plant variety, so that plant breeders can reap the fruit of their labour because so many people invest their time, money, labour into bringing up a new plant or a new seed to life.”