For farmers, access to quality planting materials is a critical first step towards productive agriculture. Yet, gaps in the availability of certified seeds, quality assurance, and market access continue to limit opportunities for farmers and seed enterprises across the Niger Delta.
Recognising the need to strengthen these systems, the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND) and the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand access to certified planting materials, strengthen local seed enterprises and support the development of Nigeria’s seed industry.
Signed on September 10, 2026, at NASC’s Corporate Headquarters in Abuja, the two-year agreement builds on a collaboration between the two organizations that began in 2016 and has since supported community-based seed production across the Niger Delta.
Connecting Certification to Market Opportunities
Under the agreement, NASC will lead seed certification and quality assurance, while PIND will support seed enterprises with technical assistance and market linkages.
The partnership will also expand NASC’s Licensed Seed Inspectors Scheme across the Niger Delta, with PIND’s Farm Service Provider and Business Service Provider networks providing potential candidates for training and licensing. This will make inspection services more accessible to seed producers and strengthen compliance with quality standards.
Beyond cassava, the partners will support domestic production of quality planting materials for priority crops such as tomato, pepper and cucumber, while promoting the adoption of cassava, banana and yam planting materials produced through NASC’s PROSSIVA programme, while strengthening the supply of quality planting materials and creating stronger pathways between seed producers and farmers.
Building on What Works
The partnership builds on a collaboration between PIND and NASC that began in 2016 through the Building an Economically Sustainable and Integrated Cassava Seed System (BASICS) program, implemented in partnership with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI).
The collaboration later expanded into community-based cassava seed multiplication, with NASC certifying seed plots across the Niger Delta. These experiences showed the value of connecting regulation, technical support, enterprise development and market access to bring quality planting materials closer to farmers while creating opportunities for local seed businesses.
Supporting Women’s Participation in Seed Value Chains
An important component of this collaboration is its link to the Mastercard Foundation-funded Women in Sourcing and Enterprise (WISE) programme. Community Seed Entrepreneurs trained through WISE will be integrated into NASC’s formal certification system and supported to supply certified cassava planting materials to women producers across the Niger Delta.
Speaking at the signing, PIND Executive Director, Mr. Sam Ogbemi Daibo, noted that the partnership provides an opportunity to scale up approaches that have been tested at the community level into stronger institutional systems that can reach more farmers.
NASC Director-General, Hon. Fatuhu Muhammed, also emphasized the importance of extending quality-assurance services to more communities and strengthening confidence in Nigeria’s seed market.
Looking Ahead: From Partnership to Action
The partnership’s first major joint activity will be the Nigeria Seed Systems Forum 2026 in Abuja, bringing together policymakers, regulators, researchers, investors, seed companies, development partners and farmers to advance coordinated action on policy, investment and market development. The measure of the partnership will ultimately be seen in stronger seed enterprises, wider access to certification and inspection services, increased investment and, most importantly, more farmers gaining reliable access to quality planting materials.
By connecting regulation, enterprise development, research and markets, PIND and NASC are working towards a seed system that can better serve farmers and contribute to a more productive and resilient agricultural sector in the Niger Delta.
