NAN- AE-5
Infrastructure
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Jan. 11, 2017 (NAN) The Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN) has urged the Federal Government to build the capacity of scientists and the scientific infrastructure needed for the development of biotechnology in the country.
The President of the society, Prof. Benjamin Ubi, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday.
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“We need to upscale capacity in Nigeria, build up scientific infrastructure in Nigeria, so that Nigerians will have a good crop of scientists who are working at developing these materials in Nigeria.
“We cannot say no to modern Biotechnology in Nigeria, but usually there is need for regulation when it comes to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and that is what the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) is doing.
“So that the concerns expressed by people sometimes though being politically exaggerated, they are not handled in a scientifically approach.’’
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Biotechnology is the practical use of biological processes in industrial production.
Early examples of biotechnology include the making of cheese, wine, and beer, while later developments include vaccine and insulin production.
Ubi spoke of the need for relevant stakeholders such as NBMA to partner international organisations in taking advantage of the enormous opportunities in biotechnology development.
“On the issue of partnership, I would like to say that no country is an island; so there is always need for partnerships to foster collaboration with international partners.
“This will ensure that materials developed are tested and monitored by NBMA and if approved, there should be no fear of the risks of using them as people have expressed.
“Everybody is concerned about the safety of all Nigerians, animals and the environment,’’ he said. (NAN)
EPA/MZM/YEE
Edited by Emmanuel Yashim
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