ABUJA — The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has revealed that about 40 per cent of applicants seeking access to the ₦50 billion Presidential Catalytic Fund for Seed Companies are “briefcase companies,” raising concerns over capacity and credibility within Nigeria’s seed sector.
Director-General of NASC, Hon. Fatuhu Mohammed, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing journalists at the final briefing of the National Executive Steering Committee, Focal Points and stakeholders of the IMAGE Project in Nigeria.
According to him, all 634 registered seed companies in the country applied for the intervention fund, but a significant number lack the operational capacity required to drive seed production.
“We are using the application process to fish out those that are not productive—the briefcase seed companies. About 40 per cent fall into this category,” Mohammed said.
He explained that the ₦50 billion Presidential Catalytic Fund is a soft loan facility designed to revive seed production and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chain.
“The fund is meant to ensure that Nigerians plant the right seed to feed the nation, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to food security,” he stated.
Mohammed clarified that the fund is domiciled with the Bank of Industry (BOI), which serves as the disbursement gateway, while NASC retains regulatory oversight.
“The money is not meant for BOI; it is meant for the Seed Council. But since we are not a financial institution, the government uses BOI as the gateway for access,” he explained.
To ensure accountability and sustainability, the NASC boss said strict eligibility criteria and guidelines have been established to guarantee that only credible and productive companies benefit from the fund.
He noted that the intervention is expected to address long-standing inefficiencies in the seed sector, boost the production of quality seeds, and enhance farmer productivity nationwide.
On the IMAGE Project, Mohammed said the initiative has introduced a more robust, evidence-based system for tracking crop variety adoption using DNA fingerprinting and household surveys.
“We have generated valuable data that will support policy formulation, investment decisions, and agricultural transformation,” he said, adding that NASC has established a Varietal Monitoring Unit to institutionalise the process.
Also speaking, Executive Director of Resourced, Mark Nelson, described the diagnostic report on improved seed varieties as critical to understanding adoption challenges.
“The report captures the outcomes, the problems of improved varieties on the landscape, and the factors limiting adoption,” he said, noting that Nigeria now has the capacity to conduct varietal monitoring using genotyping technology.
Project Lead of IMAGE Nigeria, Dr. Folarin Okelola, explained that the use of DNA fingerprinting provides more accurate data than traditional perception-based surveys.
“The normal way is to ask farmers what they planted, but perception is often inaccurate. With DNA fingerprinting, we go to the genetic level to confirm what is actually being cultivated,” he said.
Findings from the report showed that cassava recorded the highest adoption rate at over 50 per cent, while rice, maize, and cowpea recorded significantly lower rates, ranging between 0.1 per cent and 10 per cent.
Okelola warned that inaccuracies in seed identification and distribution could affect yields, noting that many farmers unknowingly cultivate substandard or mixed varieties.
“There is a lot of noise in the seed system, including adulteration and mix-ups, meaning farmers are not always getting what breeders released,” he said.
To address these challenges, NASC announced plans to conduct a value chain assessment and quality control audit to trace seed distribution from breeders to farmers.
The council stressed that ensuring farmers have access to the right seed varieties remains critical to improving yields and achieving Nigeria’s food security goals.
