Nigeria has seed innovation to ‘nourish tomorrow ’, but distribution lags

In Kaduna, Musa Abdullahi, a 55-year-old farmer, harvested 3.5 tons of wheat per hectare last dry season. The previous year, on the same plot, he got just 1.7 tons.

The difference came as Abdullahi switched to a heat-tolerant variety of seed that matures faster and withstands 38-degree heat.

“I made double from the same land last year. I wanted to plant more this year, but I went to three markets and could not find the same seed,” Abdullahi told BusinessDay.

Abdullahi’s story captures the paradox at the heart of the 2026 World Food Day.

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Nigeria has the seed innovation to double yields and build a resilient food system, but the seeds that work aren’t scaling where they matter the most, on smallholder farms.

As the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) marks this year’s theme, “Innovate Today. Nourish Tomorrow,” the question in Nigeria is not whether innovation exists, but it is whether the system that delivers clean, certified seeds can keep up with the science.

Experts noted that improved seeds that can double yields and withstand drought and pests already exist in Nigeria’s research labs, but most smallholder farmers who need them most cannot find or afford them, leaving a critical gap in the country’s food system.

“We have developed improved seed varieties, but they are in the research institutes,” said Abiodun Olorundenro, managing partner, Aquashoots Limited.

“Today our seed market is dominated by imported seeds, and most smallholder farmers cannot afford them because they are expensive,” he explained.

Certified seed use in Nigeria remains below 20 percent for most staple crops, according to the National Agricultural Seeds Council. Nigerian markets are flooded with adulterated and recycled grains sold as seeds, cutting germination rates and eroding farmer trust after a bad season.

For Abdullahi and thousands of smallholders across Kano, Jigawa and Kebbi states, among others, the breakthrough that lifted productivity from 1.7 to 3.5 tons per hectare is now the bottleneck.

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Science ready, delivery not

Nigeria has released about 500 improved varieties in the last 10 years, from early-maturing seeds that escape drought to flood-resistant and heat-tolerant varieties, according to industry estimates.

On research plots, these varieties yield an average of 4 to 6 tons per hectare. On smallholder farms using saved grain, average yields remain at 1 and 1.5 tons.

“The science is ready. The delivery is not,” said Jude Obi, a professor and president of the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria (NOAN).

“When a farmer plants genuine certified seed, he sees the difference in 90 days. When he plants grain sold as seed, he loses trust for five years.” That trust deficit is now the highest cost, he said.

Farmers who suffered poor germination last season are reverting to old varieties, not because they are better, but because they are familiar. Seed companies, in turn, struggle to project demand and stock rural agro-dealers.

Why proven seeds don’t reach farmers

Experts say three gaps keep improved seeds off farms: last-mile distribution, affordability, and information.

“Use of improved and hybrid seed varieties is scaling across farming communities, but adulteration and high costs remain a challenge,” AfricanFarmer Mogaji, chief executive officer of Agbado Value-Chain Limited, said in a telephone response to BusinessDay.

“We need tighter enforcement at markets and more demonstration plots so farmers see the value before they buy,” Mogaji noted.

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Seed companies are piloting smaller 1kg and 2kg packs, agent networks that deliver to clusters, and QR-code verification to help farmers check authenticity. However, coverage is still thin in the North-East and North-West, where insecurity and logistics raise costs.

For Abdullahi, the calculation is simpler. He kept his field ready for dry-season wheat, but unless the heat-tolerant variety returns to the market in Kaduna, he will plant half the area and earn half the income that fed his family last year.

“I know what this seed can do; if I find it, I will plant everything,” he said.

For Nigeria, closing that gap is no longer about research alone. With food inflation at 19.57 percent and 35 million people facing acute to severe food insecurity, according to the World Food Programme (WFP), lifting national output depends on how quickly a proven bag of seed moves from institute to market.