VC Honoured as ASSN Fellow As Nigerian Seed Scientists Converge in FUNAAB for 10th Annual Conference

The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, Professor Babatunde Kehinde, has been honoured with the prestigious Fellowship of the Association of Seed Scientists of Nigeria, ASSN, as the Association officially began its 10th Annual Conference at the University.

The Fellowship Award, presented to the Vice-Chancellor today, September 7, 2026, alongside other distinguished professionals, recognised his contributions to agricultural education, research, innovation and the advancement of Nigeria's agricultural development.

The conference, organised by ASSN in collaboration with FUNAAB, brought together researchers, policymakers, industry experts, farmers, students and other stakeholders to deliberate on innovative approaches to strengthening Nigeria's seed system and achieving sustainable food security.

Held under the theme, "Smart Seed Technology: Solution to Changing Agricultural Environment," the conference spotlighted the critical role of improved seed technologies in enhancing agricultural productivity, climate resilience and food security.

Welcoming participants, Professor Kehinde described the conference as a strategic platform for connecting academia, industry and policymakers to address persistent challenges in seed production, distribution and adoption, particularly in developing economies.

He restated FUNAAB's commitment to academic excellence, impactful research, innovation and community engagement, noting that the University's specialised agricultural programmes, research facilities and interdisciplinary initiatives were designed to develop solution-oriented graduates and generate innovations that can address national and global challenges.

The Vice-Chancellor stressed that smart seed technology requires strong collaboration across disciplines and sectors, urging stakeholders to move beyond knowledge-sharing to establish research and innovation consortia that can attract funding, promote collaborative research, and translate scientific discoveries into tangible benefits for farmers and society.

He commended the Department of Plant Breeding and Seed Technology, PBST, headed by Professor Francis Showemimo, for hosting the conference and formally declared the event open.

In his remarks, the National President of ASSN, Professor Haruna Ibrahim, said the conference provided an important platform for stakeholders to exchange knowledge, showcase research findings and develop practical solutions for advancing Nigeria's seed industry.

He noted that climate variability, soil degradation, pests and diseases, coupled with rising food demand, had made quality seed increasingly critical to agricultural transformation.

According to him, emerging technologies such as seed enhancement, priming, treatment, molecular breeding, biotechnology, digital seed systems and precision agriculture offer opportunities to develop productive, nutritious and stress-resilient crop varieties.

Delivering the keynote address, the Managing Partner of Sahel Consulting Agriculture and Nutrition Ltd., Mr. Temi Adegoroye, said the real opportunity in smart seed technology lies not only in developing improved varieties but also in building stronger systems capable of delivering innovations from the laboratory to farmers' fields.

He called for stronger linkages among science, commercialisation, regulation, finance and market demand, stressing that the ultimate measure of success should be the extent to which smart seed innovations reach farmers and contribute to a productive, resilient and commercially sustainable agricultural sector.

The Lead Speaker and Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Horticultural Research Institute, NIHORT, Ibadan, Professor Muhammed Attanda, described seed as the foundational input for agricultural productivity and food security.

He identified variety development, quality control, seed production, processing, storage, distribution, farmer access, biotechnology, capacity building and supportive policies as critical areas requiring greater investment and innovation.

Professor Attanda, however, identified inadequate investment in seed research and technology development, human-capacity gaps, infrastructure deficits, market challenges, climate change and policy barriers as major constraints to the growth of Nigeria's seed sector.

The highpoint of the conference was the presentation of Fellowship Awards to distinguished personalities for their contributions to Seed Science, agricultural development and the growth of ASSN.

Other awardees included the ASSN National President, Professor Haruna Ibrahim; Head of PBST Department and Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Professor Francis Showemimo; Professor Johnson Adetumbi; and Mr. Ayooluwa Okediji.

The Opening Ceremony of the conference ended with a renewed commitment by stakeholders to strengthen collaboration among academia, government, industry and farmers in accelerating the development and adoption of smart seed technologies.

The ceremony has further highlighted FUNAAB's growing prominence as a leading hub for agricultural education, research, innovation and food-security solutions in Africa, reinforcing its position as a University at the forefront of Nigeria's drive towards sustainable agricultural transformation.