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Tag: NABDA

  • ‘Genetically modified crops tested, regulated’

    ‘Genetically modified crops tested, regulated’

    National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN) have said  genetically modified crops have been tested and regulated before release to ensure safety.

    This was stated in a letter to Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

    Reacting to a letter to the Senate by Global Prolife Alliance: National Security Threat: ‘Biotech Terrorism Using GMO Seeds’,  these crops are not a national security threat or biotech terrorism but rather  lead to increased incomes due to higher yields and low production costs.

    Director General of NABDA Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, said the transgenic cowpea (beans), resistant to pod borers, and TELA maize, resistant to pests and drought were developed by scientists to benefit Nigeria’s  smallholder farmers.

     Mustapha noted there is international scientific consensus on GM crop safety, upheld by World Health Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and many others.

    He said  Nigeria’s genetically modified products passed biosafety assessments before approval for commercial planting.

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    Mustapha explained the  transgenic crops have been engineered to express traits that confer resistance to pests, diseases, and environmental stress.

    Incorporation of these traits in Cowpea and TELA Maize, he said, can increase yield, ensure more abundant and stable food supply for our population.

    BSN, in a letter signed by its President, Prof. Sylvia Uzochukwu, said the crops have been assessed for safety to ensure they meet highest standards.

    Uzochukwu added the crops will  aid poverty alleviation and economic growth, benefiting smallholder farmers, agricultural sector and community.

     “There is no terminator gene in these or any other GM crops, and they do not produce sterile seeds.

    ‘’Contrary to the claim transgenic crops pose a national security threat, it is essential to note rigorous scientific evaluations and regulatory processes govern the commercial release of genetically modified organisms’’, Uzochukwu said.

  • Your works have promoted innovation, others in agriculture, NABDA tells journalists

    Your works have promoted innovation, others in agriculture, NABDA tells journalists

    The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) has commended Nigerian journalists for their contribution to fostering dialogue, promoting innovation, and advancing policies that support sustainable agriculture and food security.

    The Director-general/CEO, NABDA, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, stated this at the 7th Edition of the Open Forum of Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Abuja with the theme: ‘Building a sustainable legacy for media practitioners’.

    Mustapha noted that the media serves as the bridge that connects the advancements and breakthroughs in agricultural biotechnology to the broader public.

    He said: ” In today’s world, information is power, and the media is our guiding light.

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    ”Your work in translating complex scientific concepts into understandable narratives is invaluable.

    ”You inform, educate, and empower citizens to make informed decisions about the role of biotechnology in our lives. Your work contributes to fostering dialogue, promoting innovation, and advancing policies that support sustainable agriculture and food security”.

    The Director of the Agricultural Biotechnology, Department of the National Biotechnology Development Agency, Dr. Rose Gidado, noted that the media holds immense promise for addressing some of the most pressing global challenges, such as food security, climate change, and sustainable agriculture.

    When it comes to biotechnology adoption, she said most African countries except South Africa became reluctant to adopt biotechnology-derived products as the policy makers became confronted with contradictory sources of information.

    ”It is through the media storytelling that we are able to bridge the gap between the science of biotechnology and the broader public, helping them make informed decisions and understand the potential benefits it holds for our society.”

    ”In the face of a rapidly growing population, declining agricultural productivity and reduced resources available for agricultural research, policy makers were pressed to make the right decisions and were looking for guidance from the media”, she said.

    The OFAB Media Award was designed to honour science journalists who play critical roles in educating and strengthening public awareness of the importance of biotechnology in boosting food security.

    The Award recognises those who have excelled in their efforts to convey the benefits of biotechnologyat the meantime taking into cognizance ethical considerations associated with the technology.

    Sarah Achimugu of Channels won 1st position in Television category, while Achanya Favour Ada of AGTV came second.

    Others are Blessing Ituma and Chinasa Ossai of FRCN, while Ibrahim Isah of BBC won DG’s prize.

  • OFAB, NABDA seek balanced agric biotech reportage

    OFAB, NABDA seek balanced agric biotech reportage

    The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Africa, Nigeria Chapter, an initiative of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) under the auspices of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), has called on editors to deploy required professionalism in the reportage of agricultural biotechnology.

    This is to address misconceptions about the safety of the development in agricultural biotechnology, it said.

    Speaking during an interactive session on navigating biotech frontiers for accurate science communication with selected Lagos-based senior editors, the Head, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology & Biotech Awareness Unit, Mrs. Iweajunwa Sarah Ogochukwu, said the objective was to build the capacity of the participants for improved editorial decision-making on issues related to agric biotech.

    Another objective, she said, was to enlighten and keep the editors up to date with the developments in agricultural biotech.

    She added that the workshop was aimed at enlightening editors on agricultural biotechnology and biosafety matters so that suitable decisions about GM crops are made based on evidence-based science and policymakers’ decisions are clearly understood and disseminated to the public.

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    The Director General/CEO, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, noted that the media is the bridge that connects complex scientific discoveries with broader society, translating technical jargon into understandable language, and fostering informed discussions.

    Mustapha added that agricultural biotechnology must be understood, accepted, and embraced by the general public for it to realise its full potential.

     He said: “The media is the bridge that connects complex scientific discoveries with broader society, translating technical jargon into understandable language, and fostering informed discussions.

    “Therefore, it is imperative that we engage in a constructive dialogue on how the media can better cover agricultural biotechnology, biosafety, and related topics”.

    In her remarks, the Director, Agricultural Biotechnology Department, NABDA, Dr. Rose M. Gidado, highlighted that Nigerian agriculture is vulnerable to climate change and its associated occurrences of higher temperatures, extended droughts, floods, and other circumstances, reducing agricultural production across the country, particularly in the Northern States.

    She added that biotechnology offers new tools for increasing agricultural productivity and protecting food crops from climate change effects such as heat, floods, and drought.

    Gidado informed the participants that the use of biotechnology tools in Nigerian agriculture is now necessary due to the current state of emergency declared in the country’s food.

    Also speaking Dr. Agnes Yemisi Asagbra, the DG/CEO of the National Biosafety Management Agency emphasised that modern biotechnology has advanced quickly; creating new regulatory requirements that must be met to protect human health and the environment while also utilising the potential that biotechnology presents the country to.

    “To address the various global and national concerns/challenges in the fields of human health, agriculture, environment, and industry, modern biotechnology applications inside a legal framework can be a beneficial instrument.”