According to the Managing Director (MD) of Niger State Agricultural and Mechanization Development Authority (NAMDA), rice yield per hectare has increased by 140 per cent following the introduction of certified seeds in the state. Smallholder farmers now produce six as against two tons of rice in the past in several areas in Niger state. The disclosure was made during the flag-off of distribution of certified seeds to farmer in Wushishi Local Government Area. The achievement was brought by the intervention of West African Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAPP) which provided not only the certified grain and foundation seeds but also distributed seeds free of charge to smallholder farmers. The project was to assist farmers within the community so that they would be seed entrepreneurs by undergoing practical training of multiplying certified seeds for distribution. Value addition on seeds is important factor to boost productivity in the sector thus the project aims to distribute about 1.5 mt of quality rice seeds to 60 farmers for multiplying in order to disentangle from insufficient access to seed and planting material in the rice producing state.http://allafrica.com/stories/201506161138.htmlhttp://www.coraf.org/documents/SCP_MAIN_REPORT.pdf