Nigeria must significantly increase investment in agricultural research, plant breeding and scientific innovation to improve productivity and strengthen national food security, according to Prof. Victor Adetimirin, president of the Nigerian Plant Breeders Association (NPBA).

Speaking in Abuja ahead of the NPBA’s 2026 Annual Conference, Adetimirin said Nigeria faces growing pressure to feed its expanding population amid climate change, emerging pests and diseases, declining soil productivity, limited farmland, disrupted supply chains and rising production costs.

He said expanding cultivated land alone would not solve these challenges, arguing that Nigeria must focus on improving the productivity, resilience and profitability of existing agricultural systems. Plant breeding, he added, is central to developing crop varieties capable of delivering higher yields while withstanding drought, heat, pests, diseases and other environmental stresses.

According to Adetimirin, investment in crop improvement should be viewed not only as scientific spending but as an investment in agricultural productivity, agribusiness development, supply-chain stability and food security. Modern approaches including genetics, biotechnology, genomics and conventional breeding can help accelerate the development of improved varieties for farmers.

He also called for stronger collaboration between universities, research institutions, government agencies, seed companies, farmers, financial institutions, agribusinesses and development partners to ensure that scientific discoveries are translated into practical and commercially viable solutions.

Prof. Peter Aikpokpodion, chairman of the NPBA conference planning committee, said inadequate funding remains a major obstacle to plant breeding research. He urged stronger public-private partnerships to support research programmes, seed systems and the movement of improved varieties from laboratories and research institutions into farming communities.

The association said its September 23–24 conference in Abuja will bring together researchers, government agencies, banks, investors, seed companies, farmers, commodity groups and agribusinesses. The event will focus on how breeding innovations can be converted into products, businesses, investment opportunities and measurable agricultural outcomes.

Dr Ijeoma Akaogu, NPBA treasurer, said modern technologies such as genetic modification and genome editing can shorten the time required to develop improved crop varieties, while still undergoing required laboratory, field, food-safety and environmental assessments. Faster development of improved varieties could help farmers raise productivity while reducing production costs.

With the conference themed “Leveraging Breeding Innovations and Strategic Partnerships for Agribusiness Investment, Stable Supply Chain and National Food Security in a Changing Climate,” the NPBA is positioning agricultural research as an important driver of Nigeria’s food security, economic growth and export ambitions.