The Flour Millers Association of Nigeria has extended a N50 million grant to the Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI) to cultivate foundation seeds for wheat production, aiming to reduce reliance on imported seeds and foster local seed production. The grant, presented by Aliyu Samaila at the 2023 Regional Wheat Summit organized by WECAWheat, seeks to mitigate rising bread prices attributed to imported ingredients.
Samaila highlighted the efforts to localize production and emphasized the transition to locally produced foundation seeds from LCRI, supporting future wheat farming with certified seeds. He urged other stakeholders to follow suit, envisioning increased wheat production for self-sufficiency and decreased bread prices in the near future.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, stressed the significant demand-supply gap in the West and Central Africa region, indicating the imperative nature of the Summit to forge strategic alliances and enhance wheat production. Kyari emphasized the unsustainability of heavy wheat imports, amounting to $6 billion between 2016 and 2020, against the national annual requirement of 6.0 million tons.
Highlighting the global volatility affecting wheat imports, especially due to conflicts and export bans in various countries, Kyari underscored the urgent need to intensify regional wheat production to ensure food and nutrition security.
Prof Baba Gana Kabir, the Executive Director of LCRI, highlighted the institute’s commitment to wheat research and the development of wheat varieties, having registered and released 17 wheat varieties with more expected in the future. Kabir reiterated LCRI’s dedication to collaborating with stakeholders to address wheat crises and bolster food security in the region.
