Senator Urges Nigerian President to Sign Biosafety Bill into Law

Former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki, on 27 March 2013 urged President Goodluck Jonathan, to approve the Agricultural Biotechnology Bill earlier passed by the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Saraki, who represents Kwara Central in the Senate and a member of Senate Committee on Agriculture, said that in observance of Jonathan's transformation agenda, signing the bill into law would complement the federal government's efforts to ensure food security and food sufficiency.The passage of the Agricultural Biotechnology Bill (Biosafety Bill) by the National Assembly followed the emergence of biotechnology as a powerful tool aimed at increasing agricultural productivity in many countries.

In a statement by The Saraki's Special Advisor on Media, Bankole Omisore said "considering the imperative of promoting the development and deployment of appropriate technology to ensure food security, biosafety law has been advised to be in place. That is, safety first. Excellence in biotechnology is a natural corollary of biosafety, especially in agriculture." Saraki, who is also the Chairman of Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, noted that "majority of African countries have developed their biosafety law, while all over the world, scientists who recognize the benefits of this technology have been in the forefront of the call for safety and regulation of activities in the field of biotechnology. Therefore, there is a need for Mr. President to assent to the bill in the interest of our nation and the attendant economic and employment opportunities that comes with it."

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