The Catholic Diocese of Sokoto State, Bishop Mathew Hassan Kuka has called on Research Institutions to Centre their research toward achieving self-sufficiency in the agricultural sector of the country.
Bishop Kukah made the call while receiving a delegate from the Institute for Agricultural Research of the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
He said Nigeria required innovative strategies to tackle the problems militating against the attainment of food security that directly affected the socio-economic development of the citizenry.
Radio Nigeria in Sokoto reports that the delegates were in Sokoto to inform the Bishop about a Maize variety, code TELA maize which the research institute developed that is drought tolerant, resistant to fall armyworm, and capable of improving the economic fortunes of farmers in the country.
The revered leader commended the ABU Zaria, Agricultural Research Institute for coming up with crop varieties that could be used to enhance food production in the country for sustainable development.
The religious leader promised to spread the good news through his regular sermons for effective service delivery.
Earlier, the team leader of the delegation Prof. Rabiu Adamu, said the aim of the visit was to establish a synergy with religious leaders in a bid to create awareness among farmers on the TELA Maize variety.
Prof. Rabiu Adamu stressed that the team would also pay a courtesy call to the Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar for the same reason.
“The insect-resistant and drought-tolerant maize variety was developed to meet the yearnings of farmers in Nigeria and save cost from insecticide spray and crop damage up to N9 billion’‘ he explained.
TELA Maize project is a product of a global partnership coordinated and managed by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation AATF in selected African countries including Nigeria, South Africa, and Ethiopia to eliminate the major hindrances to maize production in the selected countries and guarantee farmers’ yields.
COV/NASIR MALALI