Nigeria Strengthens Ties with AfricaRice

The Nigerian delegation was welcomed by AfricaRice Director General Dr Baboucarr Manneh. In his presentation Dr Manneh highlighted Africa’s strategic role in rice production and Nigeria’s pivotal contribution: “Africa produces roughly 23 million tonnes of rice, and nearly a quarter of that comes from Nigeria about 5.3 million tonnes. If African rice is to make headway across the continent, we must deliver tangible results in Nigeria.” He went on to set out current and future areas of collaboration between AfricaRice and regional governments.

‎The visit included a tour of the scientific facilities: laboratories focused on varietal improvement, disease resistance and climate-change adaptation. Researchers put modern selection techniques and biological analyses on display, showing how these innovations can boost yields and harden crops against shocks.

‎In the experimental fields the ambassador and his retinue inspected control plots and trials of varieties tailored to West African conditions. Officials explained the trial protocols, the results observed and the plans to roll out successful varieties to local growers. The hands-on orientation of the research, centred on food security and national self-reliance, was presented as a springboard to hit sufficiency targets by 2035.

‎His Excellency Ezenwa Chukwuemeka Nwaobiala said he was impressed: “This visit has given us a much clearer picture of African rice. Until now we did not have a precise handle on the organisation’s activities. It is important that we feed this information back to our capital to raise the profile of, and deepen, the partnership between Nigeria and AfricaRice.”

‎The visit ended with a tree-planting ceremony on the site, a symbolic gesture underlining their shared commitment to sustainable development and the protection of ecosystems.