PVP bill will protect Nigerian researchers, breeders, not for GMOs, AFAN replies critics PVP bill will protect Nigerian researchers, breeders, not for GMOs, AFAN replies critics
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The National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc Kabir Ibrahim, has explained that the purpose of the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Bill is to protect indigenous plant breeders and researchers.
This explanation became necessary following calls from some quarters asking President Muhammadu Buhari to decline assent to the bill.
A group Health of Mother Earth Foundation, (HOMEF) raised concern that once the bill is signed into law by the President, farmers would be criminalised if they duplicate or share seeds registered under this law.
Ugo Aliogo
The Director-General, National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Dr. Philip Ojo, has stated that the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Bill will provide intellectual property protection to breeders and improve food security in Nigeria.
Ojo, disclosed this during a virtual meeting organised by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in collaboration with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) with the theme: âExpert review of the Plant Variety Protection Bill: Significance and Constraints.â
He said the NASC and other stakeholders have helped facilitate the PVP bill which is currently awaiting Presidential assent.
An Environmental activist and Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey has warned against passage of Plant Variety Protection (PVT) Bill into law, saying it would spell disaster for agriculture and farming in Nigeria
The PVT, he said, “allows plant breeders to register their patent on their seeds, such that anyone who produces the seed without their assent will be criminalized, and it can get to a point where the seeds that are not registered will be barred from being used.”
Bassey, speaking during a stakeholders’ forum on food policies, said the bill, which is currently before the President, would make it a criminal offence, if any farmer duplicated or shared the seed registered under the law.
Views: Visits 6 By Prince Okafor The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in collaboration with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Bill now, stressing that it will unlock potentials across Nigeria’s Agricultural ecosystem while protecting farmers. Speaking during an Expert review webinar with the theme “Expert review of the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Bill: Significance and Constraints,” NESG Board member and Co-Founder/Managing Partner of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Ltd, Dr. Ndidi Nwuneli said the PVP bill has an important role to play across Nigeria’s Agricultural ecosystem.
By Prince Okafor
The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) and the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) in collaboration with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Bill now, stressing that it will unlock potentials across Nigeria’s Agricultural ecosystem while protecting farmers.
Speaking during an Expert review webinar with the theme “Expert review of the Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Bill: Significance and Constraints,” NESG Board member and Co-Founder/Managing Partner of Sahel Consulting Agriculture & Nutrition Ltd, Dr. Ndidi Nwuneli said the PVP bill has an important role to play across Nigeria’s Agricultural ecosystem.