Agriculture
‘Malaysia Did Not Get Palm Seedlings From Nigeria’
The Nigerian Institute for
Oil Palm Research (NIFOR) has debunked insinuations that Malaysia obtained its first palm fruits/ seedlings from Nigeria.
Dr Christy Okwuagwu, the Director, Production at the institute, denied the rumour while conducting media fellows round the institute’s research projects in Benin recently.
The fellows were sponsored by the ‘Biosciences for Farming in Africa’, an international non-profit organisation.
The facility visit was aimed at assessing the level of research on oil palm at the institute.
Okwuagwu told our correspondent on the sidelines of the visit that Malaysia couldn’t have taken seedlings from Nigeria through NIFOR because the country was advanced in oil palm production before the establishment of NIFOR.
“It is a story that is always carried around that Malaysia came to NIFOR to get seeds and now Malaysia has overtaken Nigeria.
“There is no way to assume that Malaysians came to Nigeria and got planting material and now they have overtaken us, they never did.
“People say it carelessly and they believe it.
“This is one of the very basic information I want to debunk in every situation because we know truly that it was through the Dutch expedition that the Malaysians had this planting material in the 19th century.
“NIFOR actually existed because of the threat that Malaysia posed to a continuous exploitation of wild grooves.”
Okwuagwu, who is the oldest scientist in the institute, also backed up her claim with historical references.
She showed evidence through the documentations of a book titled “The Oil Palm’’, authored by R.H.V. Corley and P.B. Tinker.
“The origin of the very original planting materials in Malaysia.
“The earliest record of introduction of palms into South East Asia was first seedlings planted in Bogo Botanical Garden in 1848 in Jaba in the Dutch East Indies.
“Two of these were from Amsterdam Botanical Garden but it is not known how they originated, the other two from Mauritius in the Indian Ocean.
“The palms that sprang from these four seedlings were all quite similar and it has been supposed that they were all originally produced from Amsterdam, through some African unknown origin.
“These four seedlings — they formed the entire source of the planting material in Malaysia.
“That is why we say that the entire population of the planting material in Malaysia are very narrow genetic base; we don’t normally depend entirely on them for breeding and development.
“Actually, it is necessary that they depend on us and subsequent materials to improve their planting material.
“The original materials never came from Nigeria; they came from Dutch expedition of the early 19th century.
“And because of the fact that the crop had economic advantage in their land, they started multiplying these seedlings and raising them as plantation crops; they don’t have natural populations; this is the source of everything in South East Asia.”
For Nigeria, the director said policy instability and inadequate funding and land provision, were the major factors militating against the growth of the oil palm industry.
“African countries are being characterised with instability of policies. This instability of policies and development have hindered the progress in plantation development.
“Concerted efforts have not been made over the years.
“The industry in this country has not grown in comparison to the rate at which recent development has grown; the oil boom became a doom because palm produce became relatively unimportant to our total economic well-being.
“We are totally dependent on petroleum and so efforts to establish plantations and go forward with this crop will not grow.
“Irregular interventions do not sustain development; this crop which is native to us we have not done it the good that we should have done to it; other countries who have embraced it, have seen progress.
“Our environment is not the best compared to South East Asia; but we have planting materials which are so good and their yield are very comparable to the average yield in South East Asia.
“It is to get the industry committed to the development of this crop.”
She further called for the resuscitation of all economic crops in the country to boost Nigeria’s foreign exchange.
“People should go into plantation development, it stabilises the environment. We are talking about pollution, ozone depletion, the oil palm is one single crop that cleanses the environment.
“Malaysia prides itself as one of the best environments in the world because everywhere is green, the tree has a beautiful shading effect against the ozone.
“I am making a clarion call that people should please go back to our heritage.
“Let the groundnut pyramids come up in the North; let the cocoa boom come to the West while in the East and in the Mid-West, let the oil palm industry thrive.
“The goodness of it is that the oil palm has grown beyond the East and Mid-West; Nasarawa is a beautiful example.
“Taraba – the whole strip along the Mambilla is excellent, just like the same in Malaysia, good soil, good rainfall, excellent soil but people are not planting; people should please go back to our heritage.”
This the farmers attributed to inadequate pest control facilities, lack of in-depth managerial skills, crisis, Climate control and other factors.
These were the observations of the farmers during the training of 6000 Cassava farmers and facility tour both at Fashola Agribusiness hub and Iseyin.
The training was coordinated by the African Agricultural Technology (AATF) Foundation and National Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Abia state, funded by Germany based Foundation.
The project coordinator of AATF, Samuel Ogunleye said the training has benefited the farmers immensely.
According to him, ‘the training is designed to benefit 6,000 Cocoa farmers in the 33 local government areas of the state.
‘The programme was incubated in 2023 but inaugurated in 2024. The programme has taken place in Ido and Ibarapa areas with the training of over 1,200 farmers.
‘Today similar programme is taking place here in Iseyin with over 2,000 farmers in attendance.
Farmers are being trained on how to increase their output as well gets it to the market through modern technology.
‘In Iseyin, there is a modern Cassava processor machine aimed at easing the processes.
‘The local farmers have access to the processor at a subsidize rate. Also, the foundation is assisting them at getting their products to the market”.
In his own presentation, the team leader, National Root Crops Research Institute, Dr. Adeyemi Olojede said the training was designed to address the decline in the
production of Cassava nationwide.
He said: ‘The training is designed for the off season in order to allow active participation of farmers.
‘Some of the challenges confronting the farmers are tabled while the solutions are proffered.
On the issue of funding, the University don blamed successive administrations in the Country for paying lip service to the sector.
According to him, the Research Institutes in the Country have not been able to access the Budget in the past five years.
The researchers are using their personal contacts to access funds from local and international organization to carry out research.
The All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Lagos State Chapter, has lauded the Federal Government’s approval of 57 crop varieties to strengthen agricultural productivity in the country.
The Lagos State AFAN Chairman, Mr Sakin Agbayewa, disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen, Wednesday in Lagos.
Reports said that in March 2026, the Federal Government approved 57 new improved crop varieties to boost food security, improve nutrition, and strengthen agricultural productivity.
The crops, selected for early maturity, higher yields, and resistance to pests and diseases, include 14 different types of staples, with notable advancements in rice, maize, yam, soybean, and plantain.
Agbayewa noted the approval of the crop varieties would help improve the yields of farmers in the state.
“We are excited to hear about the 57 new varieties of crops recently approved.
“What we desire currently in crop farming is not just about planting, it is about increased yield.
“A farmer can have a plot of land and have a high yield and another can have big plots of land and have a low yield.
“So, if when are talking about food security, it starts from the varieties you are planting and it starts from the seedlings”, Agbayewa said.
He described the introduction of the crops as a new development for crop cultivation.
“This newly approved 57 crop varieties should however be popularised among local farmers because not everyone is aware of this latest development.
“There are lots of issues currently affecting the cultivation of crops and the development of improved crop varieties will help the farmer’s productivity.
“Issues such as climate change effects, inconsistent rainfall patterns and weather clash among others are affecting farmers’ yield,” he said.
Agbayewa said there should be massive advocacy of the approved crop varieties across the board for farmers, adding, “The government is now waking up to their responsibility. So, we are”
The event, with the theme “Aligning Science, Enterprise, and Policy to Scale Insect-based Feed Solutions,” brought together policymakers, researchers, regulators, private investors, and BSFL farming entrepreneurs to map out strategies for integrating insect protein into Nigeria’s agricultural system.
According to him, black soldier fly larvae can feed on organic waste including market and kitchen refuse and develop into high-protein feed within 10 to 14 days.
“It contains about 40 to 45 per cent protein, making it a viable alternative to some protein source feed ingredients in poultry, fish, and pig feed ration if produced sustainably” he said.
Amole noted growing interest from feed manufacturers, stressing that supply, not demand remains the major constraint
“The question now is who can produce at commercial scale,” he added.
He also highlighted Nigeria’s comparative advantage, citing its tropical climate and abundant organic waste, which support year-round production without the need for expensive temperature control systems.
He however emphasised the need for standardisation to ensure consistency in nutrient quality and safety across producers.
Also speaking, a Senior Scaling and Innovation Expert from the institutes ‘headquarters in Nairobi, Dr. Ijudai Jasada, identified fragmentation within the BSFL value chain as a major barrier to scale.
“We need a coordinated system that connects all actors and reduces inefficiencies,” he said.
Stakeholders at the Roundtable reached a consensus that ILRI should take the lead in establishing and championing a national platform on BSFL.
Jasada said plans are underway to establish a national coordination platform to improve collaboration, attract investment, and support long-term growth of the sector.
He said the goal is to integrate insect-based feed into Nigeria’s mainstream feed industry by 2030, while creating employment opportunities for women and youth.
On capacity development, Prof. Cordelia Ifeyinwa Ebenebe of Nnamdi Azikiwe University acknowledged ongoing training efforts by development partners and institutions but warned that Nigeria’s regulatory framework for insect-based feed remains underdeveloped.
She noted that standards are still evolving and are expected to align with benchmarks being developed by the African Organisation for Standardisation.
Similarly, Prof. Olugbenga Adeniran Ogunwole stressed the importance of safety assurance and regulatory clarity, warning that policy gaps could hinder large-scale adoption.
He identified key challenges, including variability in nutrient composition, digestibility concerns linked to chitin content, and relatively high production costs.
A BSFL producer, Mr. Kolawole Ogunleye, said large-scale production remains difficult due to limited access to equipment, financing, and infrastructure, adding, “The process is labour-intensive, and most of the equipment is still imported,” he said.
From the private sector, Mr. John Amole, Country Representative of New Generation Nutrition (NGN), described insect protein as a growing but still underutilised solution in Nigeria.
He noted that although insect meal has been approved as a feed ingredient, it has yet to gain widespread market acceptance.
“There is interest, but the ecosystem is still developing, and there are no guaranteed off-takers,” he said.
Sharing international experience, Ms Talash Huijbers of InsectiPro, Kenya, highlighted the success of circular economy models that convert organic waste into protein and fertiliser.
The roundtable concluded with key recommendations, including the establishment of a clear legal framework for insect-based feed, financial incentives for startups, standardised substrates, integration into national waste management systems, and increased funding for research and extension services.