By Palma Ileye
Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) is strengthening efforts to transform agricultural research into practical technologies, improved crop varieties and commercially viable opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.
The Executive Secretary of the Council, Dr. Adamu Abubakar Dabban, in a press release signed by PRO, Khadijat Amin disclosed this at a session on Scaling Innovation for the CAADP Kampala Agenda in Dakar, where ARCN presented its new Country Snapshot on Research Commercialisation in Nigeria.
The snapshot places Nigeria at Stage 2, described as “Building Capacity,” on the research-commercialisation journey, highlighting progress made in linking research institutions with farmers, extension actors, communities and the private sector.
According to the Council, more than 400 agricultural innovations and improved technologies have been developed, while 578 adopted villages and schools have benefited from its interventions.
Dabban also disclosed that more than 3,200 farmers had been reached through six Agricultural Research Outreach Centres (AROC) in the Federal Capital Territory, while over 100,000 farming families had been reached nationwide.
He, however, said the Council was looking beyond these achievements by addressing gaps that continue to limit the commercialisation of agricultural innovations.
The gaps, he said, include intellectual property management, technology transfer, industry engagement, investment, licensing and access to commercialisation funding.
To bridge these gaps, ARCN was advocating stronger Technology Transfer and Commercialisation Offices, improved intellectual property and licensing frameworks, proof-of-concept funding, stronger links between investors and agribusinesses, as well as the establishment of spin-off companies by research institutes.
