NAN-AE-1
Warning
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Nov. 10, 2017 (NAN) The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) on Friday warned Nigerians against unauthorised importation and release of Genetically Modified foods and products
into the country.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Rufus Ebegba, gave the warning in a statement signed by Mrs Gloria Ogbaki, the agency’s Head of Press in Abuja.
Ebegba stated that those involved in, or who intend to be involved in the handling, importation or transfer of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) should seek clarification and authorisation from the agency before doing so.
She added that “the warning is in line with the NBMA Act, Part VII which states that no person, institution or body shall import, export, transit or commercialise any genetically modified organism or a product intended for direct use as food or feed, or for processing unless with the approval of the Agency.
“The NBMA is by this Act empowered to sanction any erring party for importing or releasing unauthorised genetically modified products, be it grains or any kind of seed, as the case may be.
“The Act made it clear that any person, institution or body that wishes to import, export, transit or otherwise carry out such activities, confined field trial, multi-locational trial or commercial release of a GMO, shall apply to the Director-General of NBMA prior to such activity.’’
Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) recently impounded 90 metric tonnes of illegally imported Genetically Modified (GM) maize valued at about 10 million dollars into Nigeria through the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
The GMO maize from Argentina, sources said, was not authorised by NBMA.
The director-general, therefore, advised all to abide by the law to avoid being sanctioned.
Ebegba re-assured Nigerians that their safety was the priority of the agency, and urged the people to see NBMA as a dependable body that could protect their interest.
He stated that “for clarification, the NBMA was set up to provide regulatory framework and institutional and administrative mechanism for safety measures in the application of Modern Biotechnology and its products (GMOs) in Nigeria.’’
This, he said, was with a view to preventing any adverse effects on human health, animals, plants and the environment.
He warned stakeholders in the food sector, agriculture, health and environment to formalise their dealings and properly ascertain the legal status of products they intend to import into Nigeria to avoid running foul of the law. (NAN)
EPA/MOL/HA
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu