Prof. Adamu Ahmed, Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has urged plant breeders to develop improved underutilized legume varieties to strengthen food security and sustainable agriculture.
Underutilised legumes are traditional crops such as Bambara nut that offer nutritional and agricultural benefits but receive limited research attention, commercial production and investment.
Adamu made the call on the sidelines of the 9th International Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Society for Underutilised Legumes (SUL) in Zaria on Friday.
The vice-chancellor, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Prof. Raymond Bako, said improved seeds and sustainable farming practices would unlock the nutritional, environmental and economic potential of neglected legumes.
He said the crops offered opportunities to address nutritional challenges through dietary diversification, biodiversity conservation and agricultural innovation, while improving farmers’ livelihoods and creating new opportunities for agribusiness development.
Adamu, however, identified inadequate research investment, limited access to quality seeds, weak market linkages, insufficient processing facilities and low public awareness as major constraints limiting the crops’ potential.
He said unlocking the value of underutilised legumes required deliberate investment in scientific research, improved varieties, sustainable production practices, value addition and market development to promote wider adoption.
The vice-chancellor said ABU, as a leading institution in agricultural education and research, remained committed to advancing innovation and strengthening partnerships to connect scientific discoveries with farmers’ needs and commercial opportunities.
Earlier, the Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli, said biotechnology, value-chain development and climate change had introduced new approaches to traditional agricultural practices, but farmers remained central to agricultural transformation.
Bamalli, represented by the Madakin Gonar Zazzau, Ibrahim Musa-Bamalli, urged agricultural scientists to translate research findings into practical solutions that farmers could understand, adopt and use to improve productivity.
Similarly, Dr Adegboyega-Taofeek Tope, President of SUL, said the conference theme focused on promoting underutilised legumes through biotechnology, value-chain development and climate-smart practices to advance sustainable agriculture and food security.
Tope said the conference attracted academics, international agricultural research institutions, industry stakeholders and policymakers, with more than 100 research presentations scheduled to promote knowledge exchange and strengthen collaboration among participants.
He said SUL, established in 2016, was committed to promoting research, conservation and utilisation of neglected legume species to improve food security, nutrition and climate resilience across Africa.
Prof. Muhammad Sagir, Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, said the conference was organised at a critical time when Nigeria faced significant agricultural and food security challenges.
Sagir said the organisers aimed to bridge the gap between scientific research and farming communities by creating a platform for translating research findings into practical agricultural solutions.
