Abuja – The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mrs Nana Mede, says the application of safe and responsible modern biotechnology under a legal biosafety regime will ensure food security in Nigeria.
Mede made this known at a three-day workshop on the review of “Draft Biosafety Regulations and Guidelines’’ organised by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).
The workshop was organisded in collaboration with the African Biosafety Network of Expertise Programme for Biosafety System (PBS) and the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB).
She said the growing world population had contributed to increased demand for food, feed, fibre, fuel, shortage of water for irrigation, climate change, increasing demand for renewable fuels, reduced biodiversity and loss of natural habitats and biodiversity.
“Now Nigeria imports food because of some of the constraints that are involved in the aspect of producing food.
“So now, we are going to be able to modify these Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) that will help us in food production.
“Try to make sure that the economy grows faster and there is food security. It is going to make a lot difference in our economy.
“The implementation: We will make sure that the environment is protected; that people do not bring in food or things that are hazardous.
“The technology, the modification will protect lives and not just anything that will endanger the lives of Nigerians.“
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Also speaking, Mr Rufus Ebegba, the Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), said the review was to test the opinions of stakeholders.
Ebegba said that it was also to ensure conformity with and incorporation of current knowledge and information to improve the functions of the agency in the country.
According to him, these biosafety regulations and guidelines will increase the legal capacity of the agency to give Nigeria the desired holistic biosafety in a transparent manner.
“We have developed a set of draft national biosafety regulations and guidelines. As part of the process of ownership, validation and subsequent finalisation of the documents, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has identified the need to subject the document to review by stakeholders.
“The essence of this review is to ensure conformity with the regulations and guidelines with the Act and other pieces of legislation and their validation by these major stakeholders.
“I wish to use this medium to once more stress that the National Biosafety Act is in full force and any breach has consequences.
“There are ample evidences that there are unapproved genetically modified organisms suspects in Nigeria.
“All those individual companies and institutions that are dealing in unapproved modern biotechnology and GMOs have a window of six months from June 2015 to formalise their dealings as the biosafety laws would be enforced.
“Our nation should be a priority in our dealings.“
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The Director-General of the National Biosafety Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Lucy Ogbadu appealed to the agency to extend its biosafety regulations to health care delivery in the country.
Ogbadu was represented by Prof. Alex Akpah of the National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
In her remarks, Mrs Laura Harvey, the Foreign Affairs Officer, Environment, Science and Health at the United States Embassy, said the practice of biotechnology in Nigeria had opened opportunities for agro-businesses to thrive.
“You have opened the door for a happy, more prosperous Nigeria where employment will be created, where farmers will not be exposed to possible risks associated to biotechnology.
“As a diplomat and an American, I want you to know that the well-being of Nigeria is our priority,“ Harvey said.
Dr Prince Addae, the Regional Director of the Africa Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), said the foundation would soon release Genetically Modified Cowpea to the benefit of farmers in Africa.
The workshop was attended by various stakeholders involved in biotechnology practice across Africa. (NAN)