Nigerian Government to deploy Biotechnology in Food Production

Ene Okwanihe, Abuja.

Last updated Jun 30, 2022

The Nigerian government says it has become imperative to deploy biotechnology in food production for Nigeria to improve its agricultural yields, boost farmers’ income, achieve food security and sensitize the end users on its importance.

This was disclosed at a one-day sensitization workshop with the theme, “Community Empowerment through Agricultural Biotechnology: the Role of Council Chairmen, Clerics, Monarchs, Extension Agents and Farmers.”

The workshop, which was held in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, aims to inform traditional rulers and selected religious leaders about the agricultural biotechnology concept and benefits.

In his address the Director-General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, who was represented by the country Director of OFAB, Dr. Rose Gidado, said biotechnology has the potential to end hunger and unemployment in Africa.

Professor Mustapha stated that countries are under pressure to produce more food for their increasing populace and now use biotechnology to boost production.

“…Nigeria is not left out as the government is putting structures and regulation to enhance adoption and practice of biotechnology in the country.

“Modern biotechnology practice, which uses genetic modification tool will provide safer, cheaper, better, quality, less waste, less energy, more environmentally friendly and more sustainable products.

“Hence application of biotechnology to agriculture will ensure the production of significantly more food on less land, with less water in conditions of increasingly unpredictable climate and markets, with less manual labour as well as reduce the amount of waste and losses and produce more nutritious and safe food,” he added.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development says it has become necessary to sensitize stakeholders in the sector on the importance of Genetically Modified Organisms to the growth of agriculture in the country.

The Director, Federal Department of Agriculture of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Engr. Abdullahi Abubakar, said the sensitization exercise was timely as it would help expose farmers to facts on the technology and its importance.

“With the limited knowledge we had, it was difficult for us to convince some people.

“I believe this forum would give us the opportunity to really understand what GMO is all about, what are the effects, if any.

“It is also very important for us from the little knowledge we have that GMO gives you high yields and that GMO seeds are not injurious, but sometimes we hear the opposite.

“So it is very important that this sentization is organized for stakeholders that are involved who interact with this kind of seeds from production to processing to utilization,” he said.

Engr. Abubakar commended the organizers for the efforts made in ensuring Nigerian farmers get the right information.

The Director, National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) Badeggi, Niger State, Dr. Muhammed Ishaq, in his presentation allayed the fear of Genetically Modified Organisms, saying that GMO crops are designed to be extra — extra healthy, extra fast-growing, and extra resistant to weather or pests, aimed at tackling the adverse effect of climate.

“Many GMO crops have been altered to be less vulnerable to insects and other pests.

“For example, Bt-Cowpea is a GMO crop that has a gene added from Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally occurring soil bacterium.

“This gene causes the cowpea to produce a protein that kills maruca vitrata (pod borer), a very devastating insect pest, helping to protect the cowpea from damage.

“Instead of having to be spray 8 rounds of insecticide while preventing maruca you now spray 2 times just to take care of other insect pests and saving money in the process,” said Dr. Ishaq.

While speaking on behalf of farmers at the event, President, All Framers Association of Nigeria, Architect Kabir Ibrahim, urged farmers in the country to embrace biotechnology as a game-changer to take them out of poverty and enable them to bring about the much-desired food security in Nigeria as well as investments to the country.

“I can testify to the efficacy of the PBR cowpea because I have planted it and sprayed insecticide only twice instead of 8-10 times. The yield is also quite remarkable.

“The fear of GM as expressed by the Anti-GMO activists is not supported by good science as I have personally attended international meetings and held several discussions all over the world to come to the conclusion that GM crops do not cause any disease, especially as they are certified by the Biosafety Agency of Nigeria before being released.

“I implore our farmers, monarchs, Islamic Clerics and extension workers to champion the advocacy to embrace biotechnology, which enables the commercialization of GM crops as this will be the game-changer in our quest for the attainment of food sufficiency and exit from poverty as a nation,” he added.

The workshop was organized by The Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB), the African Agricultural Technological Fund under the auspices of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) in collaboration with the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria.