The National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) says it has developed ginger planting material with improved resistance to fungal attacks as part of efforts to revive production following the disease outbreak that devastated farms across the country.
The Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the 60th Annual Conference and Diamond Jubilee of the Agricultural Society of Nigeria (ASN).
Mustapha said the agency was also developing a biological spray solution, or bio-fungicide, to help control the disease.
“An important achievement is our response to ginger blight, which has inflicted severe losses on farmers and the national economy. The scale of the damage is clear.
“NBRDA has developed ginger-planting material with improved resistance to fungal attack and is advancing a biological spray solution, a bio-fungicide, to help control the disease.
“These complementary measures tackle the problem from two sides: healthy planting material and crop protection. With field validation, farmer training and coordinated deployment, they offer a route to rebuilding production, restoring export confidence and protecting a valuable source of national revenue,” he said.
Mustapha said Nigeria’s ginger industry was valued at about $730 million before the outbreak, adding that the crisis had resulted in lost export earnings, jobs and livelihoods and pushed some farmers away from production.
He said the federal government estimated that ginger farmers lost about N12 billion in 2023, while the country’s ginger export earnings fell by 74 per cent, from N23.76 billion in the first nine months of 2023 to N6.28 billion during the corresponding period of 2024.
He added that reports in 2026 indicated that ginger exports had fallen to zero in 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.
Speaking on other crops, Mustapha said progress made in cowpea technology could strengthen domestic production and reduce dependence on imports.
“Our ambition is to make locally produced cowpea sufficient for our people as adoption expands,” he said.
He said similar opportunities existed in maize production but stressed the need for improved seed systems, farmer training and sustained investment in domestic production.
“We believe Nigeria can, in the years ahead, ultimately eliminate its dependence on imported maize.
“This is the promise of biotechnology. Not simply a new seed, but stronger harvests, more secure livelihoods and greater control over our food future,” he said.
The National President of the Agricultural Society of Nigeria, Prof. Jude Mbanasor, called on the government to increase investment in agricultural research, extension services and infrastructure.
“Agricultural research and extension must receive sustained attention and investment. Financing mechanisms must become more accessible and responsive to farmers and agribusinesses.
“We must strengthen irrigation, rural roads, storage, processing and other agricultural infrastructure. Nigeria must accelerate appropriate mechanisation and digital transformation while ensuring that technologies remain accessible to smallholder farmers.
“We must strengthen agricultural education and attract young Nigerians into the sector. Agricultural policies should encourage private-sector investment while providing an enabling environment for farmers and agribusinesses. And finally, we must promote stronger collaboration among government, academia, research institutions, farmers, professional bodies and the private sector,” he said.
The Chairman of the Local Organising Committee of the conference, Dr Rose Maxwell Gidado, said the theme, “Feeding the Future: Scaling Innovation, Resilience, and Partnerships in Nigerian Agriculture,” underscored the need to strengthen partnerships and develop workable systems in the agricultural sector.
“It invites us to think beyond what is possible in principle and to consider what can work in practice: on our farms, in our communities, in our businesses and across our food system,” she said.
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