ARCN Pledges Support for Plant Breeders’ Conference
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ARCN Pledges Support for Plant Breeders’ Conference
By Alabidun Shuaib AbdulRahman
The Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, ARCN has pledged its full support for the forthcoming conference of the Plant Breeders Association of Nigeria, describing plant breeding as critical to Nigeria’s food security and agricultural transformation agenda.
The Executive Secretary of ARCN, Dr. Abubakar Adamu Dabban, gave the assurance on Monday while receiving a delegation from the association at the council’s headquarters in Abuja.
Dabban said the council’s commitment was informed by the strategic role plant breeding plays in agricultural research, improved crop varieties and sustainable food production.
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He warned that the discipline must not be allowed to go into extinction due to declining enrolment and inadequate training opportunities.
According to him, urgent steps must be taken to reintroduce and strengthen the teaching of plant breeding in agricultural colleges, polytechnics and research institutes across the country.
“Studying plant breeding at the tertiary level will help us have more professionals in driving the President’s food agenda. The collaborative efforts of training and bringing the course to colleges and polytechnics will go a long way in keeping the discipline from going into extinction,” he said.
The ARCN boss also urged the association to intensify efforts at training young people in the sector, noting that youth engagement remains key to sustaining innovation and research in agriculture.
Earlier, the Director of Plant Resources at ARCN, Dr. Oluwafemi Salako, described the planned conference as timely, stressing the need to act fast to prevent further decline in plant breeding education.
He assured the delegation of the council’s readiness to provide the necessary institutional backing for the conference and related initiatives.
On his part, the Director of Knowledge Management and Communications, Dr. Nuhu Yusuf, emphasised the importance of knowledge sharing, saying the conference would serve as a platform for exchanging research findings and best practices among stakeholders.
He disclosed that the council had approved hosting the conference and encouraged members of the association to participate in ARCN’s journal review process to ensure proper dissemination of research outputs.
The Deputy Director, Plant Resources, Hajara Buba, said plant breeders play a pivotal role in strengthening the agricultural value chain, identifying capacity gaps and inadequate training as major challenges that must be addressed.
The leader of the delegation commended the Executive Secretary for his support and expressed the association’s willingness to deepen collaboration with ARCN, particularly through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to fast-track training for students and staff across institutions under the council.
