Jigawa State seeks Egyptian partnership for agricultural biotechnology

The Jigawa State Government is negotiating a strategic partnership with Egyptian-based plant research and development company EFC Plants to introduce advanced plant tissue culture technology to Nigeria. A technical delegation led by Governor Umar Namadi visited Cairo to inspect EFC Plants’ biotechnology facilities, which include climate-controlled greenhouses, plant pathology laboratories, and cold-storage capacity for up to six million plantlets.

The collaboration aims to transform the state's agricultural sector by focusing on the production of date palms and Irish potatoes. Beyond the procurement of planting materials, the partnership is intended to facilitate technology transfer, specialist training, and research collaboration. The goal is to establish local commercialization of tissue-culture technology to ensure farmers have access to certified, disease-free, and high-yielding planting materials.