Food Security: Plant Breeders Urge Investment in Agricultural Innovations, Set to Hold Conference in FCT

The Nigerian Plant Breeders Association (NPBA) President, Prof. Victor Adetimirin, has urged increased investment in research and agricultural innovations to enhance food security in Nigeria. He made this call at a news conference in Abuja, where the organization unveiled plans for the 2026 NPBA Annual Conference to be held from September 23 to 24 in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Adetimirin highlighted challenges such as climate change, emerging pests and diseases, declining soil productivity, pressure on farmland, unstable agricultural supply chains, and rising production costs that threaten sustainable food production. He emphasized that plant breeding is critical to addressing these challenges by developing improved crop varieties with higher yields and greater resistance to environmental stresses.

Investment in plant breeding is essential for sustainable agricultural production, as it leads to increased agricultural productivity, business development, supply-chain stability, and national food security. Adetimirin stressed the need for stronger collaboration among various stakeholders, including universities, research institutions, government agencies, seed companies, farmers, financial institutions, agribusinesses, and development partners.

The 2026 annual NPBA conference will serve as a platform for presenting scientific advances, exchanging ideas, building partnerships, and exploring opportunities to transform research innovations into commercially viable agricultural solutions. The conference aims to leverage breeding innovations and strategic partnerships for agribusiness investment, stable supply chains, and national food security in a changing climate.