Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, will host a pivotal two-day Seed Business Summit on March 25-26, under the theme “Building a Harmonised Roadmap for Seed Sector Transformation.”
Key agricultural stakeholders, including development agencies, researchers, and policymakers from Liberia, are convening to craft a strategic seed roadmap for the nation.
The summit is a collaborative effort involving the BASICS-II project by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), the AfDB-backed TAAT initiative of IITA, the Sasakawa Africa Association (SAA) in Nigeria, and the Liberian government, all united under the auspices of the Liberian Ministry of Agriculture.
The summit is designed to spark a transformative movement in agriculture, focusing on creating a viable seed system for essential crops such as rice, cassava, maize, soybean, and aquaculture.
Challenges impeding Liberia’s agricultural progress are rooted in its nascent seed sector, marked by substandard seeds, an inadequate seed regulatory system, a faltering variety maintenance research, and minimal private sector engagement in the seed system, according to Godwin Atser, Country Director of Sasakawa Africa Association in Nigeria.
Atser asserts that a robust seed system could revolutionize Liberia’s agricultural framework. The upcoming summit will see SAA, BASICS-II, TAAT, and other collaborators share insights into the models fortifying Nigeria’s seed system.
“There will be insightful technical sessions demonstrating how BASICS-II is fostering a resilient cassava seed system in Nigeria and Tanzania,” Atser mentioned.
He also highlighted their efforts to expand and replicate seed system advancements for cassava, maize, soybean, and rice across other African nations.
Lateef Sanni, the BASICS-II Project Manager, noted that the summit aims to amplify the perspectives of stakeholders in the seed systems for rice, cassava, maize, soybean, and aquaculture by showcasing narratives of success in enhancing access to climate-resilient, superior, and healthy seeds, thereby enriching farmers’ lives.
“The summit is expected to yield results that will lay the groundwork for future investments in Liberia’s seed system and generate actionable recommendations. These will contribute to shaping the nation’s agricultural strategies and initiatives, such as the Liberia Agriculture Sector Investment Plan and the Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development. This approach could also serve as a model for other sub-Saharan African countries,” Sanni explained.
The opening of the summit will be presided over by Liberia’s Minister of Agriculture, Alex Nuetah, with support from other notable figures from the Liberian parliament and related ministries.
The event will feature participation from a host of national and international stakeholders and development partners, including IITA, Sasakawa Africa Association, TAAT, BASICS-II, the African Development Bank, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, the Competitive African Rice Initiative, the Integrated Rice-Fish Farming System, and the World Bank.
