By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

KADUNA — Professor Rabiu Adamu of the Institute of Research, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has debunked claims that hybrid crops pose health risks, stating that TELA seedlings have undergone rigorous testing and laboratory analysis and are confirmed safe for consumption.

He made this known in Kaduna during a mega field demonstration for TELA high-yielding seeds organized by Ecobasic Seed, a foundation seed company.

Adamu, a principal researcher on TELA Maize in Nigeria, emphasized that achieving national food security requires adopting modern agricultural technologies built around high-yielding seeds that are pest-resistant and drought-tolerant.

“With the country’s population projected to reach 400 million by 2050, Nigeria must increase its crop yield from the current average of two tonnes per hectare to at least six or nine tonnes to meet future food demand,” he said.

He added that food sufficiency should remain a top priority for stakeholders across the agricultural value chain, noting that TELA-certified hybrid varieties such as maize, sorghum, and millet offer viable solutions for increased productivity.

“Countries like the United States have achieved food security by adopting modern farming technologies for over two decades. Nigeria can do the same with commitment and innovation,” he said.

In his remarks, Managing Director of Ecobasic Seed, Mr. Brighton Karume, stressed that food security requires deliberate effort by government at all levels to create an enabling environment for farmers to transition from subsistence to mechanized farming.

Represented by Mr. Moses Atewogboye, Commercial Manager, West Africa, Karume urged farmers to embrace hybrid seeds over open-pollinated varieties for better yields.

Also speaking, a member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Alhassan Ikara, commended Governor Uba Sani for complementing the federal government’s efforts toward food security.

He cited the distribution of over 200 trucks of free fertilizer to farmers and significant state investments in agriculture as steps in the right direction.