address by the Director General/CEO, NABDA - OFAB

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there be no doubt that we must take these concerns very seriously. At the same time, let’s not forget that thousands of road fatalities are recorded in Nigeria every year but we still enjoy driving our cars. The fear of plane crash has not stopped us from flying. Many conventional crops cause allergic reactions, and yet, we accept these risks and consume these crops. We also accept that some foods are riskier than others, and while we may handle them with more care, we still eat them. Genetic modification is not new. Ever since man turned from hunter-gatherer into breeder and farmer, he has tamed animals and plants and altered -- sometimes deliberately -- their genetic makeup. Therefore, agricultural practices have not been "natural” for 10,000 years. With the exception of wild berries and wild mushrooms, virtually all the grains, fruits and vegetables we eat today (including "organic" ones) are, strictly speaking, genetically modified. Potatoes, tomatoes, oats, rice and corns, for example, are derived from plants created during the past half-century by extensive cross hybridizations that transcend natural breeding boundaries. For more than a decade, farmers have cultivated gene-spliced plants on more than 100 million acres annually and not a single ecosystem has been disrupted, or person injured, by any gene-spliced product. My dear Press members, through guided interactions with bio-scientists as we are doing here today, you will learn to uncover that which is covered. This will help you convince yourselves that there is nothing mystic about modern biotechnology and that there is nothing to hide for that matter. We want your coverage of biotechnology issues to be regarded as nothing but the truth, based on scientific knowledge and information The significance of Modern Biotechnology in Agriculture especially cannot be overemphasized especially, in its strong potential to alleviate hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition as well as improve agricultural practices. The safe practice of this technology is therefore paramount as it is to any task, reason for the saying “it’s better to be safe than sorry”. This brings us to the issue of the ‘Regulation of Biotechnology’ to ensure safe practice which is our topic of today. National Biosafety bill was drafted by the Federal Ministry of Environment in 2006 and was presented to the House of Representative as a privately sponsored bill by Hon. Gbenga P. Makanjuola. It is awaiting final reading now. Today, NABDA is a forerunner in the facilitation process of the bill passage just to ensure the safe practice of this cutting edge technology. Since the decision to establish the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), in 2001 by the Federal Government of Nigeria to promote the biotechnology activities that positively respond to national aspiration on food security, job/wealth creation, affordable healthcare delivery and sustainable environment is because of the potential of the Biotechnological tools in National Development hence immense contribution to the GDP of the country. The activities of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) through the Federal Ministry of Science & Technology over the years have spanned both formal and informal sectors of the economy. The Agency since its inception has contributed to the empowerment of Nigerian youth and women most especially the youth and women of the Niger Delta region of the country in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) through training and empowerment schemes in ventures that do not require huge initial capital such as establishment of grasscutter rearing facility, aqua culture, tissue culture facility and mushroom production. The agency has also achieved giant stride in the following areas:
i. Establishment of Trinitron Nigeria Limited for the production of the 21 st century diagnostic kits for HIV, pregnancy and malaria. This initiative is in collaboration with the Trinity Biotech of Ireland (foreign partner) and Federal Ministry of Health. ii. Development of six centers of excellence in the first generation universities in the six geopolitical zones of the country for research and development (R & D) in biotechnology. These centers are being equipped with the state of the art biotech equipment ready for use by the researchers. iii. Promotions of various Presidential Initiatives on various Nigerian crops such Cassava, Rice, Maize, Cotton and Tropical fruits iv. Development of indigenous Bioreactor Systems, Ecological Sanitation (ECOSAN), National Youth Corps empowerment Schemes, Bioresources conservation and Biodiversity identification. v. Development of Transgenic Cassava, Cowpea and Sorghum, Maize and Rice in collaboration with both local and international Organizations such as African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), Africa Harvest (AHBI), Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR), Zaria, Biocassava Plus and National Root Crop Research Institute (NRCRI) Umudike, Abia State. vi. Successful development of Transgenic fish technology for the production of transgenic Tilapia for desirable traits such as faster growth, resistance to disease, resistance to viral infections and to freezing temperature at the National Institutes for Freshwater Fisheries, New Bussa, Niger State. vii. Establishment of a Level 2 Containment Facility at IAR. Zaria for contained trial of transgenic crops e.g. sorghum, cowpea and cotton. . With all of you being drawn from different media organizations, the outcomes of this month’s edition of OFAB, I believe, will resonate throughout Nigeria if adequately reported and will help to clarify the controversial issues in agricultural biotechnology. The fact that this June Edition of OFAB is devoted specifically to the media practitioners testifies to the significant role you play in the whole biotechnology debate; we neglect your impact and output at our own peril. The "Pen, as you know, is mightier than sword”. Journalists are key partners in the development, transfer and application of any modern technology and that they must not be neglected at all stages of adoption of any of these technologies. This month’s edition of OFAB therefore, is based on a simple premise that if journalists understand the truth about biotechnology, then, they would be able to report more accurately in a manner that clarifies controversial issues. At this juncture, I wish to commend the legislators (especially, the Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Makanjuola Gbenga Peter) that have complemented our efforts on the passage of the biosafety bill which is awaiting final reading at the House of Representatives. I applaud the efforts of the Nigerian Bio safety Committee for this important mile stone. I must also appreciate the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology and the entire Ministry for their understanding on this issue and his resolve to ensure our success. Most of all, I thank the Honourable Ministers of Information & Communications, Agriculture & Rural Development and the Environment for your tremendous support in seeing to biotechnology having a regulatory framework in place. I have strong expectations that the interactive session that follows the Guest Speaker’s presentation will help achieve this goal. Therefore, it will be our collective duty to shift the debate over genetically modified organisms to a more balanced and scientific plane, to dissipate and dissolve the persisting fear about biotech and help factor modern biotechnology into Nigeria’s development process. We cannot afford to be left behind. It may interest the
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