Stakeholders ask Senate to jettison proposed amendment of NBMA Act

Professor Abdullahi Mustapha

Stakeholders in the agriculture and environmental sector have asked the Nigerian Senate to jettison the proposed amendment to the existing National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act 2015, describing it as being anti-people and anti-development.

According to the stakeholders, amending the bill now will amount to jeopardising the achievements made since the coming of the law in 2015.

The Director-General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Professor Abdulahi Mustapha in his submission at a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Environment in Abuja, said the amendment is not necessary as it will limit the practice of science in Nigeria.

“Nigeria has enacted deliberate policies that positioned science and technology as the engine to drive the economy, so turning around to set up unnecessary roadblocks will limit science from taking us to our destination,” he stated.

In his remarks, the Project Manager of African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), Mr Vitumbiko Chinoko, said Nigeria which has already established herself as the leading biosafety driver in Africa would lose her position if the NBMA Act is amended to limit the scope of researchers in the country.

Also, the Executive Director, Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Professor Mohammad Ishyaku, said that the NBMA act 2015 remained the best protection for the proactive modern biotechnology in Nigeria.

Ishyaku noted that the proposed amendment is restrictive which will tie up the hands of scientists in domesticating the potential benefits of modern biotechnology for Nigerians.

This, he said, will make Nigerians more susceptible and dependent on products of biotechnology from elsewhere.

He said: “Together with my team I have just concluded the release of a cowpea variety, that is highly nutritious and is bringing a lot in terms of improving the livelihood of Nigerians.”

Also speaking, Director General, NBMA, Dr Rufus Ebegba, said the amendment is planned to kill the desire of our scientists to contribute to the socio-economic development of the country but open the country up to dumping of unauthorised genetically modified crops.

The President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Arc Kabir Ibrahim, said the Nigerian farmers need technology that will lift them out of poverty.

While noting that biotechnology is the only solution, he said all the farmers in Nigeria are in support of the technology and any attempt that is targeted at limiting the scope of operation in Nigeria should not be welcome.

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