From Juliana Agbo, Abuja
Adoption of agricultural biotechnology tool, among other tools is necessary to enabling Nigeria attain food security, stakeholders have said.
Speaking at a virtual Media Summit on Status of Agricultural Biotechnology Research in Nigeria, Country Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), Dr Rose Gidado, noted that the application of deliberate efforts that will encourage stakeholders to participate in science-based decision is crucial and necessary for the acceptance and adoption of the innovative technology.
Dr Gidado noted that the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Zero hunger by 2030 is fundamental for national development and wellbeing of Nigeria, adding that the facilitation of adequate understanding of the several ways Nigeria can achieve the goal is very fundamental.
She explained that with the current population of over 200 million people and projected population of 400 million people by 2050, couple with COVID-19 pandemic effect, Nigeria is faced with the risk of decreased farming population due to age; decreased arable land; poverty, malnutrition and hunger.
While noting that agricultural biotechnology holds the solution to Nigeria’s food security, she said the conventional method of agriculture can no longer meet up with the country’s demand.
“With the current state of agriculture in Nigeria, it has become paramount to also adopt this technology to improve our productivity and revive our industries.
“The time is now, let us sensitize people on the potentials of this innovation to aid decision making and adoption in Nigeria”.
She however called for the need for effective science communication that will debunk public myths about agricultural biotechnology and its tools has moved from being urgent to emergency as many poor countries whom agricultural biotechnology is supposed to benefit the most, are being deprived due to false information and myths.
Also, the Acting Director General of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Professor Alex Akpa harped on the importance of biotechnology application for the benefits of man especially in the areas health, agriculture and environment.
“Biotechnology has other applications, in agriculture, it is massive and that is where most post COVID-19 is coming, you find out that here in NABDA, using Biotechnology we have started impacting massively in the area of agriculture.
“For instance, in our yam multiplication program, last year, we were able to produce 1 million yam seedlings and this year, we are targeting 5 million yam seedlings, all these things are feasible because of Biotechnology”, he noted.
Furthermore, the NABDA DG said the Agency had been involved in using biotechnology to advance health activities, especially in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created massive problem in the world and here in Nigeria. We all know that at this time, Biotechnology is a tool that is extremely important and useful not only to Nigeria, but to the whole world.
Speaking, National President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc Kabir Ibrahim, said it is necessary to explore the option of the use of innovation to upscale food production in order to bring about food sufficiency to avert hunger due to the ravages of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Arc Ibrahim emphasised on the need to sensitise smallholder farmers to embrace technological advancement in order to avert hunger occasioned by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Already a lot of work has been going on to commercialise cow pea, maize, cassava, rice, sorghum as well as cotton and the farmers are seeing good results so it is, therefore, easy to get them to embrace biotechnology”, he said.
Furthermore, TELA Maize, Project Manager, Dr Sylvester Oikeh, while noting that biotechnology remains a strong investment for farmers said, globally, for each dollar invested in biotech crop seeds, farmers gained an average $3.49.
He said: “We need goodwill and support from federal government and relevant agencies to expedite approval process to proceed after ongoing Confined Field Trials to Advanced Yield and on-farm Trials”.
Leave a Reply