The National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi is developing high-yielding, aromatic rice varieties designed to meet the preferences of Nigerian consumers while improving productivity, adaptability and resilience for farmers.
The breakthrough research is being undertaken under the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI), through collaboration involving scientists from Nigeria, South Korea and other participating African countries.
The initiative is aimed at addressing one of the major challenges confronting Nigeria’s rice industry: how to align the high yield and adaptability of modern rice varieties with the aroma, cooking characteristics and appearance preferred by consumers of premium rice varieties such as Jasmine and Basmati.
The Project Communications Lead, Mohammed Tukur Mohammed told the Daily Trust that for decades, Nigerian consumers have demonstrated a strong preference for aromatic rice, creating a significant market for imported premium varieties. At the same time, several locally preferred traditional rice varieties are valued for their taste and cooking qualities but have generally recorded lower yields than modern improved varieties.
‘NCRI’s KAFACI-supported research (Korea-AfricaRice Development Project II) is seeking to bridge this gap by developing rice varieties that can deliver both improved field performance and the premium grain and aromatic qualities demanded by consumers.
‘As part of the breeding programme, NCRI scientists are applying accelerated development through the utilisation of AfricaRice-KAFACI-bred genetically uniform rice lines. The technology enables breeders to shorten the time required to develop and release to farmers new rice varieties with desired qualities.
‘The Institute is also deploying Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) to identify and track important genetic traits during the breeding process. Particular attention is being given to the BADH2 gene, which is associated with fragrance in aromatic rice. Through this approach, researchers are able to identify promising materials carrying fragrance-related traits while simultaneously selecting for important agronomic characteristics such as yield, adaptability and disease tolerance.
Recognising that rice varieties must perform under real Nigerian farming conditions, promising breeding materials are being subjected to multi-location field trials across diverse ecological environments. Evaluation is being carried out in 10 locations across different ecologies in Nigeria,’ he stated.
The trials are evaluating a range of characteristics, including yield potential, adaptability, disease response, grain quality and other agronomic traits. Preliminary observations from the evaluations have been encouraging, with some promising lines demonstrating desirable performance against important rice diseases, including Rice Yellow Mottle Virus (RYMV) and rice blast, while maintaining favourable agronomic characteristics.
‘The research programme also places farmers and other rice value-chain actors at the centre of the variety evaluation process. Through Participatory Variety Selection (PVS), farmers, women involved in rice processing, millers and other stakeholders are to participate in assessing promising rice materials.
‘The participants are to evaluate characteristics that directly influence adoption and market acceptance, including grain shape and appearance, milling quality, level of grain breakage, cooking characteristics, texture and aroma. This participatory approach ensures that breeding decisions are informed not only by scientific assessments but also by the practical needs and preferences of farmers, processors and consumers.
‘Feedback from the evaluations, particularly with respect to the grain quality and aromatic characteristics of some of the promising materials under development, will be used to inform decisions on the further advancement and eventual release of the new varieties, subject to the required testing and regulatory processes,’ he added.
Beyond the research and field evaluation stages, NCRI is also strategising to ensure that, when officially released, the seeds are made available to farmers through a strengthened seed production system. In this regard, the Institute is undertaking the multiplication of seed materials, progressing from Breeder Seed to Foundation Seed in line with established seed production procedures.
The Institute is utilising its research farms, modern agricultural machinery and seed-processing facilities to support the production, handling and maintenance of quality seed. Through its community-based seed production activities, NCRI is further strengthening the connection between research outputs and farming communities, creating pathways for improved rice technologies and quality planting materials to reach farmers.
The development of locally adapted aromatic rice varieties has important implications for Nigeria’s food-security and agricultural transformation agenda. Beyond increasing domestic rice production, the research seeks to improve the quality and competitiveness of locally produced rice, provide farmers with access to potentially higher-value markets and give consumers more locally produced alternatives to imported premium rice.
The Executive Director of NCRI, Dr. Mohammed Ndagi Ishaq, commended the scientists and partners involved in the initiative, stressing the importance of agricultural research that responds directly to the needs of farmers, processors and consumers.
He reaffirmed the Institute’s commitment to leveraging modern science, technology and international research collaboration to develop improved crop varieties and agricultural technologies capable of addressing Nigeria’s food and agricultural challenges.
According to the Executive Director, the development of high-yielding aromatic rice demonstrates what can be achieved when scientific innovation is deliberately aligned with the needs of farmers and the preferences of consumers.
He also acknowledged the strategic support and policy direction of the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, whose commitment to strengthening agricultural research, innovation, food production and national food security provides an important policy framework within which initiatives such as the KAFACI-supported aromatic rice research are being advanced.
The KAFACI-supported research further underscores NCRI’s growing role in advancing modern rice breeding and strengthening Nigeria’s capacity to develop improved varieties suited to local production environments.
The research is being led by the Principal Investigator, Dr. Danbaba Nahemiah, with the breeding team comprising Dr. Salihu Zuluqurineen Bolaji, Dr. Muhammad Liman Muhammad and Mr. Ajaye Foluso Oluwagbenga, whose technical contributions have been instrumental to the advancement of the aromatic rice development programme.
As the promising rice lines undergo further evaluation, validation and seed multiplication, NCRI remains committed to moving research innovations from the laboratory and research fields to farmers’ fields, with the ultimate objective of contributing to increased productivity, improved farmer incomes, enhanced consumer choice and greater self-reliance in rice production.
The Institute believes that the future of Nigerian rice lies not only in producing more rice, but in producing better rice-rice that farmers can profitably grow, processors can efficiently handle and consumers are proud to eat.