The National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services, Ahmadu Bello University and the Genetic Resources Center, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), have organised a two day International Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Society for Underutilized Legumes (SUL).
A statement from the Public Affairs Directorate Office of the VC said the conference, ‘Promoting Underutilized Legumes for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security: Advances in Biotechnology, Value Chain Development and Climate-Smart Practices’, was held at NAERLS Ultra-Modern Conference Hall, ABU Zaria on Wednesday, 21st October, 2026.
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The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adamu Ahmed, who was ably represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, Prof Raymond B Bako, declared the conference open.
He said the event reflected the value of bringing research institutions, professional associations, policy makers and industry stakeholders together to address pressing agricultural challenges.
Ahmed described the conference theme as timely.
The conference, according to him, was coming at a time when climate change, soil degradation, population growth and rising food and input costs demanded more diverse, nutritious and resilient food systems.
He emphasised that underutilized legumes offer significant opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.
As a leading institution in agricultural education and research, it is the responsibility of Ahmadu Bello University to advance these priorities, he said.
He also said no single institution could achieve this alone.
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“We must strengthen Inter-disciplinary and cross-sectoral partnerships that connect scientific discoveries with farmers’ needs, consumer preferences, commercial opportunities and evidence-based policies”, he stressed.
Ahmed encouraged participants to utilize the conference to identify research priorities, explore advances in biotechnology and plant breeding, strengthen quality seed systems, promote climate-smart production, and develop commercially viable value chains for underutilized legumes.
The Vice-Chancellor expressed the hope that the deliberations would produce practical recommendations, new partnerships and a clear framework for action beyond the conference.
Alhaji Ibrahim H. Bamalli, Madakin Gonan Zazzau, was the chairman of the occasion.
Dr Juliana Cheboi, a Senior Lecturer and Researcher on plant breeding and biotechnology at the Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, University of Nairobi, Kenya, gave a keynote address.
She said underutilized legumes are not simply crops waiting to be improved, as they are opportunities to connect genetic diversity, farmer knowledge, nutrition enterprise and climate resilience.
Dr Cheboi stressed the need for prioritizing species and varieties with communities based on ecology use, market demand and local knowledge.
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Earlier in an address of welcome, the Chairman Local Organizing Committee, Prof Mohammed Sagir, appreciated the university for hosting the conference.
Prof Sagir also commended the participants and wished them meaningful intellectual discussions, networking and learning.
