NASC seeks to reinforce collaborative efforts with IITA

A strategy meeting of BASICS-II was held at the IITA Ibadan campus to discuss the line of action toward improving cassava production systems in Nigeria on 17 and 18 July 2023. This meeting with key stakeholders from the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) was hosted by IITA Head of Virology and Germplasm Health, Lava Kumar.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr Ishiak Khalid, newly appointed Acting Director General of NASC, revealed that part of the delegations’ goal is to seek viable ways to strengthen the already existing relationship between both organizations. “IITA and NASC have a productive history of over three decades, and during my tenure, NASC will be leveraging that to address issues in food security and seed systems not only in Nigeria but West Africa,” he said.

While addressing the delegation, Michael Abberton, IITA West Africa Hub Director, emphasized the connection between breeding and seed systems in delivering the benefits of improved varieties to farmers. He referred to various IITA efforts to strengthen seed delivery systems, including through TAAT, and the scope for scaling the BASICS-II seed system model to Angola and Sierra Leone.