By Agrobroadcast Team
Nigeria’s dominance as the world’s leading yam producer may be well established, but experts say the country risks losing economic value without urgent reforms in its seed system.
At the National Yam Advocacy Summit in Abuja, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) urged the Federal Government to place the development of a robust seed yam value chain at the centre of agricultural policy reforms.
The summit, themed “Catalysing a National Agenda for Yam Value Chain Transformation through Improved Seed Technologies,” brought together policymakers, researchers and industry stakeholders to chart a pathway for modernising yam production through innovation and regulatory support.
Dr. Tahirou Abdoulaye, IITA’s Deputy Director-General for Partnerships for Delivery and Scaling, described yam as Nigeria’s most economically valuable food crop. He stressed that strengthening the seed system is fundamental to increasing output, stabilising supply and unlocking new domestic and international market opportunities.
According to Abdoulaye, a functional and efficient seed framework would enable farmers to access improved varieties more easily, while also stimulating processing activities and export expansion. He noted that growing demand from Nigerians in the diaspora and Caribbean markets represents a largely untapped revenue stream.
Challenging the long-held belief that yam has a naturally low multiplication rate, Abdoulaye pointed to breakthroughs such as the Single-Node Cutting (SNC) technique, also known as leaf-bud cuttings. He described the technology as a game changer capable of producing high-quality seed yams rapidly and with minimal inputs across diverse environments.
Scaling up such innovations, he said, would help close yield gaps, curb post-harvest losses and enhance Nigeria’s competitiveness in global markets. He added that IITA is working closely with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security to provide technical support and accelerate adoption of improved seed technologies nationwide.
Also speaking, Prof. Beatrice Aighewi, Head of Station at IITA Abuja, highlighted the Seed System Innovation for Vegetatively Propagated Crops in Africa (PROSSIVA) initiative, which promotes rapid yam multiplication using leaf cuttings.
The approach, she explained, allows farmers to generate substantial volumes of clean planting materials from a single mother plant, significantly improving seed availability.
Aighewi identified poor-quality planting materials as a major constraint to higher yields. While average yam yields in Nigeria range between eight and 10 tonnes per hectare, she noted that production could reach up to 30 tonnes under optimal conditions.
She called for stronger regulatory frameworks and quality assurance mechanisms to speed up the distribution of improved varieties and raise national productivity. Seed costs, she added, account for up to 60 per cent of total production expenses, making it the most expensive input for farmers. Formalising and scaling seed innovations, she argued, could not only double output but also create viable agribusiness opportunities in certified seed production.
Mr. Audu Grema, Senior Programme Officer at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, described yam as one of Nigeria’s most lucrative crops, yet one whose full commercial potential remains underexploited. He urged stakeholders to ensure that farmers gain access to improved technologies and stronger market linkages.
In his remarks, Dr. Simon Irtwange, President of the National Association of Yam Farmers, Processors and Marketers, reaffirmed the association’s commitment to positioning yam as a global commodity. He praised President Bola Tinubu for signing into law the repeal of the 1986 yam export prohibition, calling it a landmark decision that could significantly expand Nigeria’s footprint in international trade.
Irtwange recalled that stakeholders had long pressed for export policy reforms, noting that Nigeria recorded an initial shipment to the United Kingdom in 2017 a move widely seen as the first step toward establishing yam as a competitive export product on the global stage.