In a major stride toward food security and climate resilience, Nigeria inaugurated the Power of Diversity Funding Facility (PDFF)—a five-year, multi-stakeholder agricultural initiative aimed at promoting neglected yet valuable “opportunity crops” across the nation.
The Power of Diversity Funding Facility (PDFF) is a transformative multi-donor funded initiative that will promote the use of so-called opportunity crops across Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The launch event was held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan and saw active participation from researchers, breeders, academics, and policy leaders. The initiative is jointly spearheaded by the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Crop Trust, and Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, with funding from the governments of Germany and IrelandThe National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) has reiterated its resolve to conserve, characterise, and promote Nigeria’s rich plant genetic resources for food and agricultural advancement.
A director at the centre, Anthony Okere, stated this during the launch of new crops. Okere, who described genetic diversity as the foundation of Nigeria’s agricultural future, said crop selection under the Power of Diversity Funding Facility project was key to ensuring effective use of donor resources. He said, “NACGRAB remains committed to conserving, characterising, and promoting Nigeria’s rich plant genetic resources for food and agricultural advancement through collaborative and research-driven initiatives. PDFF symbolises renewed commitment to a resilient agricultural future, while opportunity crops were key to building sustainable, diverse and climate-smart food systems across Nigeria.”
Also speaking, a director at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nuhu Kilishi, described the PDFF launch as timely, saying “it aligned with the national food security goals and the need to enhance crop power and resilience in Nigeria.” He said that crop selection would focus on production advantage, gestation period, and benefit, adding that over 50 crops are viable in Nigeria and 38 value chains are already developed. Kilishi, therefore, pledged the ministry’s support in scaling up other crops beyond the two selected for PDFF, ensuring a robust and inclusive approach to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation strategy.
The Project Coordinator, Crop Trust, Nico Willems-Possen, said the PDFF project was a five-year initiative funded by the German and Irish governments to promote opportunity crops neglected in research and agricultural policies. He noted the project would strengthen conservation, consumer awareness, and nutritional education around these crops, while working with gene banks to preserve their genetic diversity for future use. The coordinator said that the Crop Trust remained committed to its partnership with NACGRAB and other stakeholders to ensure that resilient crops are better utilised for long-term agricultural sustainability.
Dignitaries at the event included researchers, academics, breeders, and other relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian food system.
Also speaking, a director at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Nuhu Kilishi, described the PDFF launch as timely, saying “it aligned with the national food security goals and the need to enhance crop power and resilience in Nigeria.” He said that crop selection would focus on production advantage, gestation period, and benefit, adding that over 50 crops are viable in Nigeria and 38 value chains are already developed. Kilishi, therefore, pledged the ministry’s support in scaling up other crops beyond the two selected for PDFF, ensuring a robust and inclusive approach to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation strategy.
Highlighting one of the crops in focus, Mariam Aba Daud of the Lake Chad Research Institute pointed to millet as a high-potential, climate-resilient crop suited for arid and vulnerable regions like the Lake Chad basin. “Millet offers real hope for sustainable farming in regions hard-hit by climate change,” she said, urging the Nigerian government to replicate the PDFF model for other opportunity crops.
Dr. Sunday Aladele, Research Director at NACGRAB, urged the Nigerian government to take a cue from international partners by allocating funding toward strategic agricultural innovation. “Nigeria is blessed with numerous nutrient-rich but underutilized crops. If we invest in them, we can not only improve nutrition but also reduce dependency on imports,” he said.
The Project Coordinator, Crop Trust, Nico Willems-Possen, said the PDFF project was a five-year initiative funded by the German and Irish governments to promote opportunity crops neglected in research and agricultural policies. He noted the project would strengthen conservation, consumer awareness, and nutritional education around these crops, while working with gene banks to preserve their genetic diversity for future use. The coordinator said that the Crop Trust remained committed to its partnership with NACGRAB and other stakeholders to ensure that resilient crops are better utilised for long-term agricultural sustainability.
Dignitaries at the event included researchers, academics, breeders, and other relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian food system.
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