The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture has called on the federal government to prioritise policies that will support the development of Nigeria’s seed yam value chain.

Tahirou Abdoulaye, IITA deputy director-general, Partnerships for Delivery and Scaling, made the call at the National Yam Advocacy Summit on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Abdoulaye described yam as Nigeria’s most valuable food crop, stressing that strengthening the seed system was critical to ensuring availability, improving productivity and expanding market opportunities.

According to him, an efficient seed system will guarantee the dissemination of improved varieties to farmers while enhancing prospects for processing and export.

He noted that demand from Nigerians in the diaspora and Caribbean markets presents significant economic opportunities for the country.

Mr Abdoulaye added that years of research have disproved the belief that yam has a low multiplication rate, citing technologies such as Single-Node Cutting (SNC), also known as leaf-bud cuttings, as transformative innovations.

“These technologies are easy to adopt, adaptable to different environments, and enable rapid multiplication of high-quality seed yams with minimal inputs,” he said.

He explained that scaling such innovations would bridge yield gaps, reduce production losses and improve Nigeria’s competitiveness in export markets.

Mr Abdoulaye said IITA was collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to share technical expertise and promote innovations aimed at strengthening the yam value chain.

Beatrice Aighewi, head of station, IITA Abuja, highlighted the Seed System Innovation for Vegetatively Propagated Crops in Africa initiative, which introduces yam multiplication technologies using leaf cuttings.

She explained that the method enables farmers to generate large quantities of clean planting material from a small mother plant, significantly improving seed availability.

Ms Aighewi identified poor-quality seed as a major constraint to yam production, noting that current yields average eight to 10 tonnes per hectare compared to a potential 30 tonnes.

She said effective policy regulation and quality assurance systems were needed to accelerate the dissemination of improved varieties and boost productivity.

“Seed accounts for up to 60 per cent of yam production costs, making it the single most expensive input,” she said.

She added that scaling seed system innovations could double productivity while creating business opportunities in formal seed production.

Audu Grema, a senior programme officer at the Gates Foundation, described yam as one of Nigeria’s most profitable crops but said its economic potential remained underutilised.

“We must take the crop seriously and ensure farmers benefit from improved technologies and market opportunities,” he said.

Simon Irtwange, president of the National Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers, said the group was committed to ensuring the full potential of yam production was realised.

He commended President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the repeal of the 1986 yam export prohibition, describing it as a major step toward expanding Nigeria’s participation in international markets.

Mr Irtwange recalled that stakeholders had long advocated policy reforms, noting that Nigeria recorded an initial export to the United Kingdom in 2017 as part of efforts to position yam as a global commodity.

(NAN)