Oxfam Nigeria, in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), have called for a shift from the continuous distribution of free seeds to a more sustainable approach that empowers communities to produce their own seeds.
They made this call on Wednesday at a one-day round table meeting with Humanitarian actors and other relevant stakeholders in seed system/food security to promote sustainable local seed system.
Speaking at the event, Oxfam Country Director, John Makina said that while free seed distribution is often carried out with the best intentions, it has inadvertently caused some market distortions, created dependency among farmers, and introduced unsuitable crop varieties.
He said: “This project aims to rectify these issues by empowering local farmers and their organizations to produce, test, and disseminate diverse and adaptable seed varieties, fostering a sustainable and resilient agricultural system.
“In Bauchi and Jigawa states, where this project is being implemented, farmers now have access to five new diverse varieties of millet and sorghum. This success is due to the rigorous testing of ten different varieties in 20 community farmer field school demonstration plots.
“These achievements highlight the effectiveness of participatory variety selection and underscore the importance of involving farmers directly in the decision-making process.”
