Nigeria's Science and Technology Minister Urges Use of Agricultural Biotechnology for Economic Development
March 30, 2016| |
Hon. Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, the Nigerian Minister for the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has urged for the adoption of agricultural biotechnology to alleviate poverty and spur economic development. Speaking at a workshop held in Abuja on 17-18 March 2016, the Minister underscored the importance of modern biotechnology in helping Nigeria feed its rising population.
"If our population continues to grow at the present rate, it will rise to one billion by the end of this century. It is therefore very important that we start planning for tomorrow" he said. Hon. Onu expressed his delight on the enactment of the biosafety law, stating that public concerns on safety of the technology are now taken cared of by the Biosafety Act.
In her welcome address, Dr. Louise Setshwaelo, the FAO representative in Nigeria, stated that "At FAO, we believe agri-biotechnology has the potential to benefit African farmers and therefore we support a science-based approach on evaluation of biotech crops" she added.
The two-day workshop examined the role of agricultural biotechnology in achieving food security and economic diversification in Nigeria. It addressed the full cycle of product development and testing, including the principles of risk assessment, risk management and risk communication in biotechnology and biosafety. The workshop participants included a broad range of stakeholders including public servants drawn from relevant ministries, specialized agencies such as the Varietal Release Committee, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and Nigerian Seed Council. The media and leaders of farmer associations were also present. The workshop was organized by Nigeria's National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) in collaboration with the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) and the Program for Biosafety Systems (PBS).
For more information on the workshop, please contact Dr Rose Gidado of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) at roxydado91@gmail.com
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