Nigeria: Biotechnology and Other New Production Technologies Annual

In July 2023, President Tinubu declared an "immediate state of emergency on food insecurity" to address high food prices and lackluster agricultural production. Nigeria is considered by some in Africa to be a leader in agricultural biotechnology as it has researched, tested, evaluated, and commercialized several biotech products, including cowpea, a staple crop for smallholder farmers across West Africa. There are at least eight biotech crops that are in different developmental stages, including staples of rice, cassava, sorghum, tomatoes, and maize. Generally, policy makers, researchers, and producers in Nigeria view products derived from biotechnology as an important tool to reduce food insecurity and bolster rural livelihoods. Nigeria has made no major changes to its biotechnology regulations, however in 2022, it did approve imports of a drought resistant biotech wheat variety from Argentina.