Buhari Signs NABDA Establishment Bill 2022 Into Law
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has signed the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) Establishment Bill 2022 into law.
The Director-General of NABDA, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, announced this during a Sensitisation Workshop on Modern Biotechnology and Biosafety Regulation held in Abuja.
According to Mustapha, the law, which has been officially gazetted, expands NABDA’s responsibilities and recognises it as a full research institute.
“President Buhari signed the NABDA Establishment Bill 2022 into law in April. The Act now empowers us to create awareness, coordinate, and conduct research in all areas of biotechnology for Nigeria’s development,” Mustapha said.
He noted that the new law would help Nigeria strengthen biotechnology research, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for citizens.
“Our scientists are proud that Nigeria is now among the countries advancing in modern biotechnology. This technology can boost food production, health, and job creation,” he added.
Mustapha explained that biotechnology offers many benefits and that Nigeria already has a strong national policy to guide its growth.
He said NABDA had successfully created awareness among farmers and policymakers on how biotechnology can help improve agriculture.
The DG highlighted that farmers are already seeing results with the commercial use of Bt cotton and Bt cowpea, which produce much higher yields than traditional crops.
“Bt cotton gives up to 4.4 tonnes per hectare compared to less than one tonne from local varieties. Bt cowpea also yields about three tonnes per hectare, while local types produce around 350kg,” he explained.
Mustapha praised the Buhari administration for investing in agriculture and promoting biotechnology as part of Nigeria’s plan to diversify the economy.
The event was organised by the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Africa, Nigeria Chapter.
OFAB’s Country Coordinator, Dr. Rose Gidado, said agricultural biotechnology can help fight hunger and malnutrition in Africa.
“Over 282 million Africans are undernourished, and the number keeps increasing. The war in Ukraine has also worsened food shortages,” she said.
Other experts also spoke at the workshop, including Prof. Paul Oyenekwe, Prof. Chiedozie Egesi, and Prof. Rufus Ebegba, who discussed biotechnology’s role in food security and national development.
PROF. Abdullahi Mustapha, the Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), on Thursday said President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the NABDA Establishment Bill 2022 into law in April.
Mustapha said in Abuja during a Modern Biotechnology and Biosafety Regulation Sensitisation Workshop for NABDA Board Members that the bill which would officially be gazetted had expanded the agency’s scope of activities.
“In April 2022, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the NABDA Establishment Bill 2022 into Law and this has since been officially gazetted (No.69 Vol. 109). The Act has expanded NABDA’s scope of activities.
“We are now fully recognised as a research institute with the mandate to create awareness, coordinate, facilitate, deploy, domesticate and carry out research in all areas of biotechnology for the development of the nation.
“Nigerian scientists in the field of biosciences are delighted that their nation was among the comity of nations on course in appreciation and application of modern biotechnology research.
“I am so optimism that these activities have the potentials of improving the quality of life and create job opportunities for the people,’’ Mustapha said.
The DG assured that the immense benefits derivable from this technology are globally acknowledged, adding that they varied as the vast scope of the technology itself dating back to the first to the third versions.
“Consequently, Nigeria as a developing nation was quick to embrace biotechnology by producing a well-developed, robust and all-inclusive biotechnology policy.
“NABDA has been able to create the necessary awareness amongst the political class, farmers and the public on the importance of biotechnology to our national development,’’ he said.
Mustapha further stated the agency’s efforts and gains farmers were making from the commercial planting of two biotech crop varieties, BT cotton and BT cowpea, saying Bt cotton has the potential yield of 4.1 to 4.4 tonnes per hectare as against 650 to 960kg of the local variety.
Similarly, he also compared Bt cowpea’s potential yield of 2.9 to 3 tonnes per hectare as against the local variety with 350kg per hectare.
“We note with appreciation, the commitment of President Buhari Administration to the revitalisation of the agricultural sector as a strategic cardinal policy in diversification of the Nigeria economy,” Mustapha said.
He said the workshop was organised by the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB)in Africa, Nigeria chapter.
In her presentation on Agricultural Biotechnology Advocacy in Nigeria, OFAB Nigeria Experience, Dr Rose Gidado, Country Coordinator of OFAB, gave a breakdown of agricultural biotechnology and why it matters.
She said there was urgent need to hasten up because of the total number of undernourished people in the world; more than 282 million people were from Africa.
“More alarming is the fact that the figure keeps increasing; 118 million people were facing hunger in 2020 than in 2019.
“Recently, the war between Ukraine and Russia has further thrown several millions across the globe into severe hunger and malnutrition, more specifically, regions across Africa that depends on the conflicting countries for food supply,’’ Gidado said.
Others who made presentations were: Prof. Paul Oyenekwe, keynote speaker and Director-General of Sheda Science and Technology Complex, spoke on: ”Biotechnology in National Development: The role of research and Development Agency in Knowledge Economy.”
Prof. Chiedozie Egesi, a speaker and Director, Next Generation Cassava Breeding Project-IITA, spoke on: ”Plant Genetic Modification: The case study of Bio-fortified Cassava Plus and Highlights on Genome Editing.”
Prof. Rufus Ebegba, Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency, also spoke on: ”The Imperatives of Biosafety regulation in Nigeria.” (NAN)
