By Stella Kabruk

Mr Brighton Karume, Managing Director, ECOBasic Seed Company, Kaduna, said Nigeria could double its maize production and achieve self-sufficiency if 50 per cent of maize farmers in the country adopted hybrid maize varieties.

Speaking during a press briefing in Kaduna on Friday, Karume said only 10 per cent of Nigerian farmers plant hybrid varieties, a situation that had made it impossible for the country to meet the national demand.

“If 50 per cent of farmers adopt and plant hybrid varieties, this singular act can double the country’s maize yield from the current two metric tons per hectare, to over four metric tons, thereby causing annual production to increase to about 20 metric tons,” he said.

According to him, ECOBasic Seed Company is poised to enhance the seed sector through the production of high quality and pure seeds.

He said that currently, over 90 per cent of the Early Generation Seed (EGS), breeder and foundation seed sourced in Nigeria, were from Research Institutions.

“However, these research institutions struggle to meet the rising demand for high-quality foundation seed from seed companies due to inadequate financial and technical support.

“These challenges have huge impact on the productivity and profitability of indigenous seed companies, which ultimately limit farmers’ access to high-quality seeds,” Karume said.

The managing director noted that closing the national maize production and demand gap required concerted efforts by players across the value chain who are capable of bridging the existing gap in early generation seeds production in Nigeria.

“At the core of this effort is the need to accelerate awareness and widespread use of improved, disease-resistant hybrid maize seed varieties, thereby boosting yield; it all starts with the right seed,” he explained.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ECOBasic Seed Company was established by the Africa Agriculture Technology Fund (AATF), Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) and the Seed Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria (SEEDAN).

It was established to produce and supply foundation seed of the highest quality and purity to seed companies in West Africa. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

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Panel orders NDLEA boss to produce Abba Kyari over missing persons' case

NURUDEEN SHOTAYO

March 11, 2022 11:46 PM

The panel says Abba Kyari has a case to answer regarding the whereabouts of three suspects arrested the by police.

Abba Kyari and his men (Premium Times)

The Independent Investigation Panel on Human Rights Violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other units of the Nigerian Police Force has requested the Chairman of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. General Buba Marwa (retd.), to produce the embattled Assistant Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, before it.

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The panel in a statement issued on Friday March 11, 2022 ordered that Kyari must appear before it on March 22, 2022.

Issued by the Deputy Director (Press and External Linkages), National Human Rights Commission, Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, the statement quoted a representative of the Nigerian Bar Association on the panel, John Aikpokpo Martins,as making the order while deputising for the Chairman, Justice Suleiman Galadima (retd).

She stated that Kyari must appear before the panel to answer for the allegations leveled against him by a witness of the petitioner.

The said petitioner had testified before the panel that the suspended police officer had made pledge to get in touch with him regarding the missing persons, whose whereabouts remain unknown till date.

In the same vein, the panel also ordered Kyari's successor, Tunde Disu, to ensure that his predecessor is produced before the panel on the given date.

The orders were issued with regards to the three persons who were arrested and detained at the IGP-IRT detention facility, but they are now nowhere to be found.

Their names were given as Yakubu Danjuma, Ibrahim Daniel, and Choji Dung.

The statement read, “The order of the panel followed information from panel’s counsel, Halilu Adamu that Abba Kyari is in the custody of the NDLEA and Police counsel, James Idachaba told the panel that the Police can no longer produce Kyari since he is no longer in Police custody, having been suspended.”

The panel mentioned that it had on March 8, 2022, ordered the office of the Inspector-General of Police to unfailingly produce the three missing persons before it.

Prior to the panel's order, an Abuja Federal High Court had mandated the release of the aforementioned persons but the police has continued to obey the order in breach.