By George Ozalla
Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, Director-General of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), on Monday held a meeting with the Managing Director of the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Mr. Ayo Sotinrin, at the agency’s headquarters, where both institutions moved to deepen collaboration aimed at addressing the ginger blight outbreak affecting production and livelihoods across Nigeria.
He further stated that the discussions focused on strategic partnership frameworks that would link biotechnology research with agricultural financing to support farmers affected by the disease.
Professor Mustapha stressed that the ginger blight has continued to significantly reduce productivity in major producing areas, adding that the agency is already advancing research efforts, including field evaluation of innovative interventions designed to curb the disease and improve yields.
He further stated that a key priority of the engagement was ensuring that research outcomes are not left within scientific processes but translated into practical solutions that farmers can access and adopt through effective financing mechanisms.
He added that NBRDA welcomes BOA’s readiness to collaborate in deploying biotechnology-driven solutions alongside structured credit support, noting that such synergy would accelerate recovery in ginger production, improve farmers’ income, strengthen value addition, and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global ginger market.
A joint technical committee was constituted during the meeting to develop a framework for cooperation and work towards the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the partnership.
