The National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) has strengthened efforts to improve the management, documentation and global visibility of Nigeria’s plant genetic resources through a two-day practical capacity development workshop on the inclusion of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) in the Multilateral System (MLS) of Access and Benefit-sharing.
The workshop focused on the use of the Genesys Global Portal for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, providing participants with practical knowledge and skills required to prepare, validate and publish germplasm passport data in line with international standards.
As Nigeria continues to strengthen the management and documentation of its national genetic resource collections, the need for research institutions to develop strong institutional capacity in standardized passport data management, data validation, digital identification and publication through the Genesys platform remains important. The workshop was therefore organised to address these needs and promote compliance with the documentation standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
Strengthening Institutional Capacity
The workshop was declared open by the Director of NACGRAB, Dr. A. U. Okere, who welcomed participants and acknowledged the contributions of the Crop Trust and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) towards promoting globally recognised practices in the management of plant genetic resources.
The programme was designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to prepare, validate, assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), and publish germplasm passport data in accordance with standards established by the ITPGRFA, FAO, Genesys and the Crop Trust.
The training provided participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, enabling them to understand the complete workflow involved in preparing germplasm information for publication on the Genesys platform.
Practical Training on the Genesys Platform
A key feature of the workshop was its practical, hands-on approach. Participants took part in technical presentations, demonstrations and guided exercises covering the different stages of the data publication process.
The training covered:
- Preparation and standardisation of germplasm passport data
- Data validation and quality checks
- Creation of Genesys user accounts
- Generation of institutional Persistent Identifiers (PIDs)
- Assignment of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
- Use of the Genesys Validator Tool
- Uploading and testing datasets
- Publication workflows using the Genesys Sandbox environment
Participants successfully created Genesys accounts, generated institutional PIDs, validated datasets using the Genesys Validator Tool and uploaded sample datasets to the Genesys Sandbox environment.
These practical exercises gave participating institutions an opportunity to test their data and become familiar with the procedures required for eventual publication on the Genesys Global Portal. The workshop also served as an implementation exercise to prepare institutions for more active participation in the global PGRFA information system.
Participation from Research Institutions
The workshop brought together representatives from six agricultural research institutions, including:
- Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI)
- National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI)
- National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT)
- National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI)
- Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University (IAR/ABU)
- Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T)
The participation of these institutions provided an opportunity for knowledge sharing and strengthened collaboration among organisations involved in the conservation and management of Nigeria’s plant genetic resources.
Participants Encouraged to Continue Capacity Building
At the conclusion of the workshop, participants expressed their appreciation to the Genesys Support Team, Crop Trust and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for their technical support.
They also commended the NACGRAB management, particularly the Director, Dr. A. U. Okere, and the entire NACGRAB team for organising the capacity development programme.
Participants were encouraged to return to their respective institutions and ensure that their germplasm datasets are properly formatted and prepared to meet the required standards for uploading to the Genesys platform.
They were also advised to organise in-house training sessions for other staff members involved in genebank data management. This will help extend the knowledge gained during the workshop and strengthen institutional capacity for effective management, documentation and sharing of PGRFA information.
Advancing Nigeria’s PGRFA Information Management
The workshop represents an important step towards improving the quality, accessibility and standardisation of information associated with Nigeria’s plant genetic resources.
By equipping research institutions with the skills required to validate and publish germplasm data through the Genesys Global Portal, NACGRAB is contributing to stronger national coordination and greater visibility of Nigeria’s genetic resource collections within the international PGRFA information system.
Through continued collaboration with the Crop Trust, ITPGRFA, Genesys and participating research institutions, NACGRAB will continue to promote effective documentation, conservation and sustainable use of Nigeria’s valuable plant genetic resources.
The National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB) has strengthened efforts to improve the management, documentation and global visibility of Nigeria’s plant genetic resources through a two-day practical capacity development workshop on the inclusion of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) in the Multilateral System (MLS) of Access and Benefit-sharing.
The workshop focused on the use of the Genesys Global Portal for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, providing participants with practical knowledge and skills required to prepare, validate and publish germplasm passport data in line with international standards.
As Nigeria continues to strengthen the management and documentation of its national genetic resource collections, the need for research institutions to develop strong institutional capacity in standardized passport data management, data validation, digital identification and publication through the Genesys platform remains important. The workshop was therefore organised to address these needs and promote compliance with the documentation standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA).
Strengthening Institutional Capacity
The workshop was declared open by the Director of NACGRAB, Dr. A. U. Okere, who welcomed participants and acknowledged the contributions of the Crop Trust and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) towards promoting globally recognised practices in the management of plant genetic resources.
The programme was designed to strengthen participants’ capacity to prepare, validate, assign Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs), and publish germplasm passport data in accordance with standards established by the ITPGRFA, FAO, Genesys and the Crop Trust.
The training provided participants with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience, enabling them to understand the complete workflow involved in preparing germplasm information for publication on the Genesys platform.
Practical Training on the Genesys Platform
A key feature of the workshop was its practical, hands-on approach. Participants took part in technical presentations, demonstrations and guided exercises covering the different stages of the data publication process.
The training covered:
- Preparation and standardisation of germplasm passport data
- Data validation and quality checks
- Creation of Genesys user accounts
- Generation of institutional Persistent Identifiers (PIDs)
- Assignment of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs)
- Use of the Genesys Validator Tool
- Uploading and testing datasets
- Publication workflows using the Genesys Sandbox environment
Participants successfully created Genesys accounts, generated institutional PIDs, validated datasets using the Genesys Validator Tool and uploaded sample datasets to the Genesys Sandbox environment.
These practical exercises gave participating institutions an opportunity to test their data and become familiar with the procedures required for eventual publication on the Genesys Global Portal. The workshop also served as an implementation exercise to prepare institutions for more active participation in the global PGRFA information system.
Participation from Research Institutions
The workshop brought together representatives from six agricultural research institutions, including:
- Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI)
- National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI)
- National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT)
- National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI)
- Institute for Agricultural Research, Ahmadu Bello University (IAR/ABU)
- Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T)
The participation of these institutions provided an opportunity for knowledge sharing and strengthened collaboration among organisations involved in the conservation and management of Nigeria’s plant genetic resources.
Participants Encouraged to Continue Capacity Building
At the conclusion of the workshop, participants expressed their appreciation to the Genesys Support Team, Crop Trust and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for their technical support.
They also commended the NACGRAB management, particularly the Director, Dr. A. U. Okere, and the entire NACGRAB team for organising the capacity development programme.
Participants were encouraged to return to their respective institutions and ensure that their germplasm datasets are properly formatted and prepared to meet the required standards for uploading to the Genesys platform.
They were also advised to organise in-house training sessions for other staff members involved in genebank data management. This will help extend the knowledge gained during the workshop and strengthen institutional capacity for effective management, documentation and sharing of PGRFA information.
Advancing Nigeria’s PGRFA Information Management
The workshop represents an important step towards improving the quality, accessibility and standardisation of information associated with Nigeria’s plant genetic resources.
By equipping research institutions with the skills required to validate and publish germplasm data through the Genesys Global Portal, NACGRAB is contributing to stronger national coordination and greater visibility of Nigeria’s genetic resource collections within the international PGRFA information system.
Through continued collaboration with the Crop Trust, ITPGRFA, Genesys and participating research institutions, NACGRAB will continue to promote effective documentation, conservation and sustainable use of Nigeria’s valuable plant genetic resources.
