Firm unveils 6 varieties of climate-smart tomato, pepper seeds in Kano

A Kano-based seed processing company, Seed Pro Africa, has unveiled six new seed varieties, including a climate-resilient tomato seed tailored for farming during the rainy season.   The unveiling, which took place at the company’s facility in Kadawa, Kano, was part of its 20th anniversary celebration. The company also commissioned a vegetable seed processing facility and […]

A Kano-based seed processing company, Seed Pro Africa, has unveiled six new seed varieties, including a climate-resilient tomato seed tailored for farming during the rainy season.  

The unveiling, which took place at the company’s facility in Kadawa, Kano, was part of its 20th anniversary celebration.

The company also commissioned a vegetable seed processing facility and home gardening kit, supported by Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund (AECF).

Chief Executive Officer of the company, Zainab Lawan Gwadabe, said the new varieties, four of which are of tomato and two for pepper, are designed to boost nutrition, withstand heat stress, and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported seeds.  

“This is part of our broader vision to strengthen local capacity and ensure Nigeria can rely on its own high-quality seeds,” she said.  

She said the launch also featured the commissioning of a vegetable seed processing facility and the introduction of the home gardening kit, a package that enables families to grow their own food.  

According to her, over the past two decades, the firm has expanded its impact through initiatives like the AgriPulse Hub, supporting ventures in crop production, beekeeping, fish farming, dairy, and horticulture.  

The unveiling of the new seed varieties, according to the CEO, marks a major step in the company’s mission to improve food security and empower farmers nationwide.  

“Today, this facility represents progress, innovation, and our belief in Nigeria, that the country can produce, process, and depend on its own high-quality seeds,” she added.

Taking a trip down memory lane, the company’s founder, Alhaji Lawan Gwadabe, recalled starting Seed Pro Africa in 2005 with just N60,000 capital, noting that it has now grown into one of the leading firms in the seed industry.   

Also speaking, the Director General of the National Agricultural Seed Council, Fatuhu Buhari, represented by a director in his office, Dahiru Rabiu, said the innovation aligns with the federal government’s commitment to food security.  

“As a regulatory body of the seed sector, we are glad with the innovation. It will go a long way. If all other actors in the industry will do the same, Nigeria will soon achieve food security,” he noted.  

AECF Senior Portfolio Officer for Investing in Women (IIW) Nigeria project, Michael Adibe, said the fund, in partnership with the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Commerce, currently supports seven small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in agribusiness value chains such as groundnut, vegetables, seeds, and dairy. 

Adibe explained that AECF has been in partnership with the company and has funded its seed multiplication and processing, including the processing machines and greenhouse launched at the event.  

The partnership, he added, also supports 5,000 farmers engaged in seed multiplication farming, providing them with farming tools, fertilizers, inputs, and technical training on good agronomic practices, particularly for women farmers.  

Adibe emphasized that the goal is not only to boost seed production but also to empower women farmers economically. 

“With training and capacity building, each woman is expected to increase her annual net benefits to between $500 and $1,000, strengthening livelihoods and food security,” the AECF Senior Portfolio officer added.