A Nigerian Tribune reporter, Collins Nnabuife has emerged as the best Print and Online Reporter at the 5th Edition of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) Media Award held in Abuja.
The OFAB Media Award is an annual event instituted by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) for OFAB in Seven African countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Tanzania).
Speaking at the award night, the Director-General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Mr Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, recalled that the award ceremony was launched about five years ago and Nigerian journalists had made the country proud at the grand finale where all OFAB countries send in their represented.
He said no technology development has ever succeeded anywhere in the world without the media playing a vital role of leading its propagation and ensuring its acceptance.
“Today we are gathered here to celebrate and eulogize this group of hardworking and tireless individuals who lay their lives just to ensure information is disseminated even to the remote areas”, he noted.
He explained that agricultural biotechnology sector in the country is undergoing a rapid transformation with scientists and researchers working round the clock to improve various crops.
Professor Mustapha said “so far, we have made progress with three crops: Cotton, Cowpea and Maize. Cotton and Cowpea are already with farmers while Maize will get to the farmers in one and the half years’ time, it has already been de-regulated by the National Biosafety Management Agency, meaning the genes of insert have been certified safe by the agency.
“The next phase of commercialisation is very crucial to the successes already recorded because if we fail to get the products to farmers then the many years of research and Advoavcy will be in vain.
“It is this note that I want to urge our media partners not to relent but to continue to work with scientists to keep Nigerians inform of what is happening in the various research institute.
As it is in every competition there must be winners and losers but here, we considered everyone as a winner”.
On her part, the Country Coordinator of OFAB, Dr Rose Gidado the award which is in its fifth year has the aim of recognizing and rewarding exemplary journalism that stimulates best practices in the adoption of agricultural technologies – particularly agricultural biotechnology for sustainable development, poverty eradication and food security.
She said the Award which is open to all journalists in Nigeria is divided into television, radio Category, print and online Categories.
Furthermore, she said “scientists and researchers are making steady progress in the deployment of agricultural biotechnology in the country but some armed-chair critics who see nothing good in the efforts of our scientists whom in view of limited funding and most vital facilities are making progress breaking new grounds and competing with their counterparts from developed countries.
“Unfortunately, some of the media have provided space to those ant-technologists who are interested in seeing Nigeria importing everything rather than supporting our scientists to produce such crops in the country.
“Today, OFAB has trained over 100 journalists, and this has to some extent deepened the understanding of modern biotechnology.
“We have so far awarded over 15 journalists across the Nigerian media landscape and as well empowered them with grants of various sums to independently research on agricultural biotechnology”.
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