NAN-AE-11
Curriculum
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, Jan. 24, 2017 (NAN) Dr Rufus Ebegba, the Director-General, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), says biosafety courses should be introduced into the country’s school curriculum.
Ebegba, who said this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, noted that at present, only a few private universities run such courses.
He said that specific biosafety courses should be developed and standardised in the country, in line with what obtained in the developed world.
“Nigeria must upgrade knowledge in the field of safe modern biotechnology and Nigerian scientists should be allowed to carry out research without unnecessary distractions.
“The benefits of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) are enormous and should, therefore, not be dismissed due to unfounded fears; safe adoption of modern biotechnology applications can contribute to sustainable food security and environmental safety,’’ he said.
Ebegba said that research opportunities in areas such as seed persistence, food safety and seed purity, among others, which Nigeria could key into, existed in the field of biosafety.
“Scientific research has yet to have an impact on the economic development of the country, even though the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety had been domesticated in Nigeria through the signing of the Nigerian Biosafety Law.
“NBMA and other relevant organisations must fund research in the field of biosafety so that science and technology can contribute more meaningfully to the economic development of the country,’’ he said.
“Safe adoption of modern biotechnology in Nigeria is vital for the achievement of the second goal of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“The goal seeks to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture,’’ he added.
Ebegba said that Nigeria was striving to keep pace with the latest trends in modern biotechnology.
“The country is still trying to master Recombinant DNA when the developed world has moved onto gene editing. Therefore, we must do everything legally possible to catch up with the rest of the world.
“We all agree that biosafety regulation of modern biotechnology and GMOs is very crucial for safety assurance and confidence building among all stakeholders and members of the public.
“And the quality, quantity and ease of accessibility of food are critical components for the achievement of food security,’’ he added.
Ebegba said that there were so many concerns on the adoption of GMOs in Nigeria due to limited public knowledge of the subject, although no genetically modified crop had been released to farmers in Nigeria.
“However, the anti-GMO campaign is creating fears in the minds of the citizens and, therefore, robbing the country of the benefits of safe modern biotechnology.
“This is why NBMA is creating more awareness to educate Nigerians on the safety measures that have been put in place for the adoption of modern biotechnology and GMOs in Nigeria,’’ he said. (NAN)
EPA/OOK
========
Edited by Dayo Komolafe