…..Says PVP Act No 82 providing IP rights to breeders, developers, owners of plants varieties, in Nigeria.
The National Agricultural Seed Council, Plant Variety Protection (PVP) Office in Collaboration with New Market Lab and Syngeta Foundation organised a two-day workshop to conduct a review and validation of the PVP regulations for Nigeria in Abuja.
The PVP Act provides the developers of new varieties of plants, the Intellectual property IP right which protects the reproduction and use of the varieties that are being produced. These varieties are protected by the PVP act which ensure that certified seeds can be sold only with the permission of the certificate holder. The PVP Act No 82 was signed into law by the President in June 2021.
The Act provides IP rights to the breeders, developers, and owners of plants varieties, the act provides protection for all species and genera crops in Nigeria.
Mr Charles Onwuka, a Senior Agric Officer, office of the Director-General NASC speaking with newsmen, disclosed that “ Programmes aim is to review the regulations and guidelines of the PVP Act in order for it to be operational in Nigeria.
He stated “Basically being an act on itself, it’s not sufficient, but we also need regulations and guidelines to implement an act, we have a draft regulation, that has been enriched and worked on by a new market lab, so we’re basically looking at that regulation and trying to domesticate it to the Nigerian situation so that’s basically what we’re doing here.”
According to him, the programme is to review the regulations that has already been developed in which multi stakeholders; people from the research institutions, the judiciary, the international research institutes and donor agencies along with partner organizations are all well presented in regards to their various expertise and experience.”
Also speaking, Technical Advisor to the Executive Secretary, Agriculture Research Institute of Nigeria, Mr. Umar Abdullahi said the Plants Variety Protection Act, is very important, coming from a Research background which includes over 16 research institutions and significant number of them are research on plants varieties.
“The PVP Act protect their intellectual property right, which have not been there. It will enable Nigerian scientists to travel outside the country to develop seed varieties which will be controlled by another international institutions.”
He noted that the varieties in the market are very expensive and appreciated the Act which will help Nigerians to develop new varieties with subsidized rate to farmers.
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