Niger Parliament Approves National Biosafety Law

The Republic of Niger has taken a bold step in passing the Biosafety Law on October 17, 2019 in Niamey. The country has a population of approximately 23.5 million people and the need to guarantee food security is key for their government. The new law will provide safety measures in research and development with respect to modern biotechnology and for transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) as well as products thereof. Adoption of biotechnology also positions the country to benefit from the fast growing technology by addressing health and environmental safety concerns of its citizens.

Mr. Almoustapha Garba, the country's Minister of Environment emphasized that enforcement of this law is essential for biodiversity and the protection of the environment. "At the government level, everything will be done to ensure a prompt adoption of the implementing measures and to ensure strengthening of capacities of the various services responsible for their application to the benefit of the people of Niger and of the humanity as a whole," he added.

The adoption of this law is a critical first step in the establishment of a functional biosafety system and it displays a growing political goodwill for biotechnology in the country. Ministry of Environment of Niger Republic and the Centre National des Études Stratégiques et de Sécurité (CNESS) will work with all stakeholders to ensure the country set up the necessary administrative capacity to review biosafety applications and make decisions.

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