Nigeria urged to boost agricultural biotechnology investment

Joseph Omode (Editor in Chief, Alexa News Nigeria) calls for Nigeria to substantially increase investment and policy support for agricultural biotechnology to secure food security and climate resilience.

• Recommended actions (planned/advocated): Increase funding for R&D (NBRDA, universities, agricultural research institutes); streamline approvals and biosafety monitoring; adopt clear genome editing guidelines (e.g., CRISPR not overregulated as GMOs); support demonstration farms, farmer training, subsidies/credit for smallholders, and expand seed distribution networks. The article lists five main focus areas for policy and investment and cites TELA maize as an approved biotech crop example. These are presented as recommendations rather than enacted policies.
• Implementation & funding details (confirmed/planned): Calls for mobilisation of funds from African Development Bank (AfDB) and other international agencies for establishing agricultural processing zones in all Nigerian states, and support for mechanized equipment, farmer training, and service centers. The piece states that Nigeria has set up regulatory institutions and approved crops but that domestic funding remains limited and large investments have been mostly external (e.g., Brazil, AfDB).