Analysis of Seed Released and / or Registered in Nigeria from 1937-2013: The Success and the Gaps

The National Crops Varieties and Livestock Breeds Registration and Release Committee in Nigeria is domiciled in the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB), Moor – Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria. The Director/Chief Executive Officer of NACGRAB doubles as the Registrar of National Crops Varieties and Livestock Breeds Registration and Release Committee. Before the Promulgation of Decree 33 of 1987, there was no national institutional mechanism for the validation of claims by individual or institutions on the development of new crop varieties or institutions on the development of new crop varieties or livestock breeds. However from 1937 to 2013, thirty-six (36) different crops were released and / or registered in Nigeria. The ones previously released before Decree 33 of 1987 were retroactively registered in 1991. If the thirty-six (36) crops are grouped into nine (9) sub-divisions, we have root and tuber crops (72), legumes (82), cereals (248), vegetable crops (33), fruits, beverages and tree Crops (37), oil crops (7), spices crops (5), Latex crops (17) and fibre crops (15). The total number of released materials, as of 2013 were 516 crop varieties, however, there exists some gaps to be addressed.