(3) Subject to this Act, the Committee shall have power to regulate its own proceedings.
(4) The validity of the proceedings of the Committee shall not be affected by reason
of(a) any vacancy in the membership of the Committee;
(b) any defect in the appointment of one or more members of the Committee; or
(c) a person not entitled to do so taking part in its proceedings.
(5) The Committee may appoint such number of technical sub-committees as it
thinks fit to consider and report on any matter with which the Committee is concerned.
(6) The composition and functions of the technical sub-committee appointed under
subsection (5) of this section are provided in the Schedule to this Act.
6.
Functions of the Committee
The Committee shall-
(a) receive and process applications for the registration, naming and release of old and new crop
varieties and livestock breeds;
(b) officially release the list of superior crop varieties and livestock breeds recommended by any subcommittee established for that purpose;
(c) approve names for new crop varieties and breeds of livestock certified as new or distinct such that
uniformity in nomenclature is ensured;
(d) render essential information on the released varieties of crops and livestock breeds, their
outstanding characteristics, areas of adaptation and the location of
foundation of seeds or stocks of the released varieties and breeds;
(e) monitor the effect of the importation of exotic plants and animals on local species in Nigeria;
(f) ensure the maintenance of the National Register for all crop varieties and livestock breeds;
(g) interact with national organisations and institutions concerned with large-scale
seed and livestock production;
(h) organise, in collaboration with the Genetic Resources Unit of the Federal
Ministry of Science and Technology, the maintenance and storage of posterity
and germplasm of the registered crop varieties and livestock breeds;
(i) ensure that the importation of any crop variety or livestock breed into Nigeria
which are required for general distribution and use shall pass through the process required by this Act in the same way as seeds of new crop varieties and
livestock breeds from breeders; and
(j) formulate policies on matters concerning the validation, registration, naming
and release of new crop varieties and livestock breeds which are either introduced or developed in Nigeria.
7. Evidence
Any document or certificate signed by the Registrar or any officer authorised in that
behalf certifying a copy or extract of any record kept by the Registrar under this Act