Open AccessPearl millet is widely grown as a multi-purpose cereal grain crop for feed, fodder, fuel and mulch predominantly in the semi-arid tropics. It is highly adapted to drought, representing an essential component of the food security and livelihood of many million poor farmers. DNA extraction is unusually difficult in some plants due to the presence of secondary metabolites that interfere with DNA isolation making it very laborious and time consuming. An effective genomic DNA extraction should be simple, cost effective, with good yield and high purity. The protocol used in this study involved the extraction of genomic DNA from fresh leaves using the Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) method with slight modifications including absence of use of liquid nitrogen which is difficult and expensive to obtain in the developing World. Genomic DNA obtained from the ten pearl millet samples using this procedure was good.