By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

A Kaduna-based foundation seed company, Ecobasic Seed, has warned that Nigeria must significantly scale up maize production to guarantee food security, curb imports and stabilise food prices, stressing that hybrid seeds remain critical to closing the country’s widening production gap.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mr. Brighton Karume, said Nigeria needs to produce at least 20 million metric tonnes of maize annually to meet domestic consumption and export demands. Speaking at an award ceremony organised to honour outstanding contributors to the agricultural sector, Karume noted that the country’s current output of about 12 million metric tonnes leaves an annual deficit of roughly eight million metric tonnes.

He explained that addressing the shortfall would require a decisive shift from traditional Open Pollinated Varieties to modern agricultural technologies, particularly high-yielding hybrid seeds that offer improved resistance to pests and diseases, higher productivity and better climate resilience.

Karume pointed to the growing adoption of TELA Maize, a genetically improved hybrid variety, as evidence that modern seed technology can significantly raise farmers’ yields. He said wider acceptance of the variety across major maize-producing regions could transform national output within a short period.

“For four years, we have consistently supported farmers by complementing government programmes aimed at strengthening food production and ensuring food security,” he said, adding that the ceremony was also organised to appreciate customers and partners who have supported the expansion of TELA Maize and other hybrid seeds.

The Ecobasic chief also emphasised the need to expand cultivated land, deploy full-scale mechanisation and strengthen financial support for farmers through subsidised inputs and improved access to credit, noting that high production costs remain a major constraint.

According to him, countries with stable food systems do not depend on subsistence agriculture. He disclosed that Ecobasic Seed plans to acquire large expanses of farmland from 2026 in partnership with key stakeholders, in line with the Federal Government’s food security agenda.

In his remarks, the National President of the Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (SEDAN), Mr. Yusuf Kibiya, who received an Award of Excellence for maintaining genetic purity, commended Ecobasic Seed for supplying improved hybrid seeds that have consistently enhanced yields nationwide.

Kibiya warned that rapid urbanisation is steadily shrinking Nigeria’s arable land, making the adoption of high-yield technologies inevitable. He urged governments at all levels to scale up investments in agricultural inputs, noting that the high cost of seeds, fertilisers and mechanisation continues to pose serious challenges for smallholder farmers.

Representing the Permanent Secretary of the Kaduna State Ministry of Agriculture, Bakachi Zacharia reaffirmed the commitment of the Uba Sani administration to agriculture-friendly policies under the SUSTAIN Agenda. He cited the recent distribution of fertilisers and other inputs as part of efforts to reduce farmers’ production costs and improve overall productivity across the state.