The National Biosafety Management Agency, in Nigeria NBMA, says it will continue to exercise its mandate by constantly inspecting Confined Field Trails and containment facilities to ensure compliance with bio-safety regulations and guidelines in the country.
The Director-General, of the Agency, Dr. Rufus Ebegba stated this while Addressing journalists at the NBMA end of the year chat in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital on the activities of the Agency.
The Director-General, Dr. Rufus said the Agency, has so far approved the release of three Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs for commercial usage in the country, the crops include cassava, sorghum and cowpea.
He further revealed that awareness and cooperation programmes, advocacy visits, processing bio-safety applications, national survey and tracking of GMOs and inspection of GMO farms companies and research institutes will be some of the activities undertaken in the year-in-view.
“Establishment of containment and confinement facilities for controlled organism that may pose threat to human health, biodiversity and the environment, Acquisition and installation of walk-through testing booths, establishment of National Bio-security Information Management System, sensitisation and awareness creation, development of bio-security operation instrument.” Dr Ebegba explained.
Dr. Ebegba said the Agency has also set up its project plan for 2022 and finalised its activities for the stated year, to make sure that it works with other stakeholders and agencies to ensure human safety and security.
Ebegba noted that 2022 will also see the kick-start of the African immersion course on Biosafety and Biosecurity, as well as training on data portability and digital sequencing while re-emphasising on the need for compliance to bio-safety sensitisation, risk assessment, surveillance and compliance.
“Other activities in the year in view includes Education and public awareness on bio-security issues, bio-security risk and threat assessment management and information dissemination, procedures to improve automated inventory management of harmful biological materials, monitoring and controlling the use of bio-chemicals, identification of best practices to standardise electronic inventory documentation and management system in the laboratory, bio-security import analysis, management of dangerous/invasive species and genotype.” Dr Ebegba stated.
He stressed that the Agency would continue to create public awareness on all biosecurity issues, Identification of best practices to standardize electronic inventory documentation and management systems in the laboratories, Management and containment of dangerous plant pests, animal pests and diseases.
The Director General added, that the NBMA will also continue to collaborate with Nigerian Custom Service, Standard Organization of Nigeria, to help the Agency in strengthening bio-safety capacity in the country.
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