Nigerians will begin to consume a new variety of maize developed by researchers at the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, after the variety was approved by the Federal Government for cultivation.
The government’s approval of the produce was contained in a certificate issued to IAR by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), the Federal Government agency mandated to regulate genetically modified products in the country.
The Certificate, dated October 8, 2021, with permit code no. NBMA/CM/003, was issued to IAR for General\Commercial Release of TELA Maize Genetically Modified for Drought Tolerance, Resistance to Stem Borer and Fall Armyworm. It comes into effect from October 8, 2021, to October 5, 2024.
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A decision document accompanying the certificate from NBMA said that in arriving at the decision to grant the permit, the agency took into consideration the advice of the National Biosafety Committee, the National Biosafety Technical Sub-Committee, and the risk management report provided by the applicant.
WHAT THIS MEANS:
- Smallholder farmers will benefit from life-changing technologies that have transformed farming in other parts of the globe.
- Nigeria is making good progress especially in the quest to expand the options for smallholder farmers and increase profit by using affordable technologies that enhance productivity and reduce incidents of insect pests’ infestation.
- With TELA Maize, farmers in Nigeria will have relief from frequent constant chemical sprays which affect their health.
- Chemicals will be saved and converted to address other family needs.
TELA Maize Project in Nigeria is part of an international Consortium coordinated by AATF, involving Bayer, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and the National Agricultural Research Systems of seven countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda since 2018.
The Project builds on gains from a decade of excellent breeding work to develop conventional climate-smart drought-tolerant maize known as DroughtTEGO varieties.
