The National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) and the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan (UI), on Monday began training of the council staff to enhance quality seeds production.
Nigerian NewsDirect reports that the training, held at UI, focused on seed research methodology, data analysis and reporting.
Speaking at the event, the NASC Director-General, Dr Olusegun Ojo, said that the training is to ensure production of improved quality seeds which is one of the mandates of the agency.
Ojo, represented by the NASC Director of Seed Coordination and Management Services, Dr Jimmy Zidafamor, said the training is to strengthen collaboration with sister agencies to provide quality seeds to farmers.
“We want to equip the staff more as well as deepen their knowledge on seed research, methodology and data analysis so that they can go back to do the needful on the field.
“We are responsible for the regulation and coordination of seed industry. We have the seed components and take research on seeds very seriously because without seeds there will be no crop to protect.
“We have a crop of staff, green hands, to be trained and we have been able to set up our research works with the trainings,” he said.
Also speaking, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, UI, Prof. Stella Odebode, emphasised the importance of seeds, saying that without them the country would not be food secured.
“It’s with the seed multiplication that we can produce adequate food for the populace and export. This training is apt because it will impact positively on farmers and agriculture sector in general,” she said.
Also, the Director of Research Management Office, UI, Prof. Ayodele Jegede, said any nation that does not focus on research would be far away from development.
According to Jegede, it’s unethical for one to collect data without analysing and reporting it to disseminate the information.
“When your data is of no quality it will automatically affect the quality of data you are going to produce, so the basis of your report should depend on the quality of your data analysis.
“Researchers need to always check their data and do literature review which is very critical in carrying effective research,” he said.
Earlier, Prof. Rasheed Awodoyin, the Head of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, UI, said the training is the third of its kind since 2017.
“The first one was held in 2017, second one in 2019 and this is the third, I’m optimistic that the success we will record in this one will supersede others.
“Crop protection starts from production, provision of quality seeds, our department will continue to support the NASC in its mandate,” he said.
Similarly, the workshop facilitator, Dr Morufat Balogun, says that Nigeria is at the fore front in terms of seed production, research and improvement.