National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology-

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National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology conducts research, gather data and disseminate technology information on matters relating to genetic conservation, utilization and biotechnological applications.

26/08/2026

THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, FMIS&T VISITS NACGRAB

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology (FMIS&T), Dr. Muktar Yawale Muhammad, MFR, mni, paid a working visit to the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Ibadan, on Friday, 21st August, 2026. The Permanent Secretary and his entourage were warmly received by the Director of NACGRAB, Dr. A. U. Okere, alongside members of the Centre’s management team.

In his welcome address, Dr. Okere expressed how glad he was to have such dignitaries from the ministry to the National Genebank. He subsequently delivered a PowerPoint presentation highlighting NACGRAB’s mandate, major achievements, and contributions to food security and agricultural advancement through genetic resources management. The presentation also outlined some of the key challenges confronting the Centre.

In his remarks, Dr. Muktar Yawale Muhammad commended the Director and staff of NACGRAB for their high level of commitment, dedication, and wealth of experience in genetic resources management and agricultural sustainability. He described the Centre as a national treasure, noting its critical role in advancing agricultural development in Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary stated that although he had earlier visited the headquarters of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), Abuja, where he interacted with the Director-General, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, his visit to NACGRAB had further exposed him to the Centre’s activities, strengths, contributions to agricultural advancement and challenges.

The Permanent Secretary encouraged NACGRAB to sustain and strengthen its collaboration with relevant stakeholders at both national and international levels. Dr. Muktar Yawale Muhammad also pledged to work with the Director-General of NBRDA to support the Centre, particularly at the policy level. The working visit concluded with a tour of NACGRAB’s facilities.

Dr. Okere, in his vote of thanks commended the Permanent Secretary for demonstrating good leadership by visiting the Centre despite his tight schedule. He also wished Dr. Muktar Yawale Muhammad and his entourage a safe journey back.

01/08/2026

OUTREACH ACTIVITIES

The NACGRAB Extension and Field Genebank team, alongside partners from the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) represented by Dr. Paul Anegbeh, initiated a collaborative campaign to promote farmer livelihood diversification through the cultivation of high-value cash crop trees such as cocoa, bitter kola, locust beans, walnut, and African star apple.

To drive this initiative forward, the Extension Department of the Centre linked the team with key grassroots partners, beginning with a visit on Tuesday 28thJuly, 2026 to the Justice Development and Peace Movement (JDPM) of the Catholic Church, Oyo Diocese, Oyo State which coincided with their farmers' meeting. There, Dr. Chan presented the cash crop diversification model directly to farmer representatives, sparking strong positive interest and engaging questions.

Building on this momentum, the team visited Akufo Farm Settlement in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State on Wednesday 29th July, 2026 to engage with local farmers during their scheduled meeting. This session similarly yielded enthusiastic interest, successfully laying a solid foundation for future tree crop adoption and community-level agricultural resilience.

28/07/2026

IITA GERMPLASM HEALTH UNIT TEAM VISITS NACGRAB

On Monday, July 20, 2026, members of the Germplasm Health Unit (GHU) team of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan visited NACGRAB.

The team, led by Dr. Lava Kumar, visited NACGRAB as part of its effort to support and strengthen the germplasm health capacity of the National Genebank under the Crop Trust’s “Seed for Resilience Project”, a project aimed at supporting national genebanks across Africa. Funded by the German Government, the project also focuses on improving the seed health of the rich resources conserved in the National Genebank.

The team was received warmly by the Director of NACGRAB, Dr. A. U. Okere, as well as the Deputy Director, Seed Genebank Unit, Dr. Olosunde A. A. and other members of staff in the Unit. Following the reception, discussions took place between the visiting team, the Director, and the receiving team. The discussion focused on genebank health, the facilities, and training for staff of Seed Genebank Unit to prepare them adequately for disease prevention and control, as well as the challenges in the areas of seed health. The team also embarked on a facility tour of the genebank and other facilities.

The visit of the team to NACGRAB demonstrates the commitment of Crop Trust and IITA to supporting national genebanks through the “Seed for Resilience” Project and to fostering collaborations.

27/07/2026

NACGRAB Organizes Workshop on the Inclusion of Germplasm in the Multilateral System (MLS) of Access and Benefit-sharing through the Genesys Global Portal for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA)

As Nigeria continues to strengthen the management and documentation of its national genetic resources’ collections, there is an increasing need for national agricultural research institutes to develop institutional capacity for Standardized passport data management, Data validation, Publication through the Genesys Global Portal, Compliance with FAO and ITPGRFA documentation standards among others cannot be over emphasized.

Recently, the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) being the focal point on conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in Nigeria successfully organized a two-day practical capacity development workshop on the inclusion of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) into the Multilateral System (MLS) of Access and Benefit-sharing through the Genesys Global Portal.

The workshop, which was declared open by the Director of NACGRAB, Dr. A.U. Okere, welcomed all participants and appreciated Crop Trust and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) for all the support in making sure that global standard practices are followed.

The program was aimed at strengthening institutional capacity in preparing, validating, assigning Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), and publishing germplasm passport data in accordance with international standards established by the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), FAO, Genesys, and the Crop Trust.

The workshop combined technical presentations, practical demonstrations, and intensive hands-on training covering every stage of the data publication workflow; from data preparation and validation to DOI generation and publication on the Genesys Sandbox environment. Participants successfully generated institutional Persistent Identifiers (PIDs), created Genesys accounts, validated datasets using the Genesys Validator Tool, and uploaded sample datasets into the Genesys Sandbox environment. The workshop therefore served as a practical implementation exercise to prepare participating institutions for active participation in the global PGRFA information system.

The workshop had in attendance representatives from six research institutes; Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University (IAR/ABU), and the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T)

As the program came to an end participants extended their appreciation to the Genesys Support Team, Crop Trust, the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA), the organizers of the workshop; particularly Dr A.U. Okere and the entire NACGRAB team.

Participants were challenged to go back to their institutions to ensure they format their data to meet the standard for uploading into the Genesys platform. They were also advised to organize in-house training so as to build the capacity of the other staff members involved in Genebank Data Management.

09/06/2026

TRACKING DIVERSITY, SECURING THE FUTURE: NACGRAB'S MISSION ACROSS NIGERIA

NACGRAB’s collecting mission is progressing across Nigeria as teams continue to collect valuable pigeon pea and fonio diversity that to date is missing from the national genebank. So far, collections have been made from several farming communities, where farmers continue to maintain traditional varieties adapted to local conditions. Based on a gap analysis study that identifies areas of the country where these crops grow but are not represented in the national collections, collecting will continue to increase the diversity of these crops. With support from the Funding Facility, the goal is to collect 400 landraces before the season ends.

Each accession collected represents unique genetic resources that holds valuable traits that may contribute to future food security, climate resilience, and crop improvement.

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NACGRAB Collecting Team 2 engaging with pigeon pea farmer in Edo state. View More https://pdfhost.io/v/3df9uWHJDg_collecting_mission_story_1_LS

06/06/2026

NACGRAB TEAM ON THE FIELD TO COLLECT GERMPLASM

NACGRAB has officially launched its collecting mission under the Crop Trust Funding Facility Initiative.

Field teams have been deployed across designated regions in Nigeria to collect PIGEON PEA and FONIO genetic resources-valuable crops facing increasing threats from changing agricultural practices, declining local knowledge, and insecurity.

In a major step toward modernizing germplasm collection, NACGRAB is now using Android tablets and KoboCollect for digital field data capture. This innovation enhances data quality, improves efficiency and accuracy, and enables real-time monitoring of collection activities.

This mission is aimed at safeguarding Nigeria's crop diversity today for food and nutrition security tomorrow.

22/04/2026

THE ASURI, NACGRAB CHAPTER ORGANISED A 3 DAY TRAINING PROGRAM

The Academic Staff Union of Research Institutes (ASURI), NACGRAB Chapter organized a 3-day intensive hands- on training in grantsmanship from 13th -15th of April, 2026. The program was aimed at equipping members with the skills to attract funding for research.

The program was facilitated by prof. S.A. Olakojo, Research Professor of Plant Breeding and Applied Genetics from Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR & T) Obafemi Awolowo University, Moor Plantation, Ibadan.

The Program was declared open by the Director of NACGRAB, Dr. A.U. Okere and in his opening remarks, he appreciated prof. S.A. Olakojo for making out time out of his busy schedule to expose research scientists to this rare opportunity. He further appreciated the readership of the union who have deem it fit to organize such topic of interest. He then urged members to participate fully in order to acquit themselves with the aims of which the program was organized.

Participants appreciated Prof S. A. Olakoja for his mentorship role and promised to take the Bull by the Horn as the program came to an end.

20/04/2026

MULTILATERAL SYSTEM OF ACCESS AND BENEFIT SHARING

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and its Multilateral System are a global public good; vital for conserving, accessing and sharing the genetic diversity that sustains resilient food systems.

Full implementation in Nigeria; through accession, enabling legislation, straightened genebanks, protection of farmers’ rights, and active use of the SMTA (Standard Material Transfer Agreement); will speed crop improvement, boost climate adaptation and ensure equitable benefit sharing for smallholder farmers.

This is not just biodiversity policy but a strategic investment in national food security, sustainable livelihoods and agricultural innovation. We urge policymakers, research institutions and private sector partners to prioritize implementation now to safeguard Nigeria’s food future. 🌍🌱🤝🇳🇬🌾

ITPGRFA hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

11/04/2026

FG Registers and Releases 57 Crop Varieties and 1 chicken to Farmers

The National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds/Fisheries (NVRC) has approved the registration and released 57 high yielding crop varieties and one chicken breed to farmers to boost food security and enhanced nutritional well-being.

The Approval was announced by the Chairman of the Committee, Prof. O.O. Olufajo at the 36th meeting of the Committee organized by the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), on the 26th of March 2026 at Lafia Hall and Apartments, Apata, Ibadan.

The Approval of the releases were granted based on the recommendations of the Technical Sub-Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties Chaired by Prof S.G Ado and the Technical Sub-Committee on Naming Registration and Release of Livestock/ Breeds and Fisheries Chaied by Prof. W. Akin Hassan, to the NVRC.

The newly approved Crop/ chicken Varieties were bred by research institutes, private seed company and universities. The 57 varieties consist of 14 crops as follows: 1 variety each of soyabean, pepper, Sorghum and Potato; 2 yam varieties; 6 Onions varieties; 5 Tomatoes varieties; 5 Rice varieties; 3 Eggplant varieties; 4 varieties of Musa SPP; 6 Cotton varieties; 14 Maize varieties; 4 varieties each of groundnut and Cowpea.

The chicken was a locally developed meat-type chicken and was released and registered based on its unique characteristics of high body weight at 10-week, good carcass characteristics and tolerance to heat stress. Therefore, Prof Akin Hassan stated that there would be mass production of the breeds because of its potentials and commended animal geneticists and breeders who contributed to the success of the release.

Prof. Olufajo, therefore called on extension officers to ensure that farmers were aware of these new improved varieties for greater production in the country. He urged farmers to take advantage of the new improved varieties and charged institutions, breeders, geneticists and other stakeholders to keep up doing what would enhance the growth and development of agriculture in Nigeria.

The meeting had in attendance Committee members, farmers, researchers, breeders, geneticists and other relevant stakeholders.

24/03/2026

Samples of Crops being presented for consideration at the 40th meeting of Technical sub-Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breed and Fisheries

Address

Moor Plantation
Ibadan
200273

Website

https://www.nacgrab.gov.ng/

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