GMOs: FG guarantees safe use by Nigerians

The Federal Government on Thursday in Abuja says it will adopt any safe technology in order to engender food security and economic recovery drive for the country.
The Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Jibril, made this known at the 3rd National Biosafety Conference, organise by the National Biosafety Management Agency.
He said: “I believe you will agree with me that nothing is more important than food and that a nation that failed to feed its people is a failed nation; a secure nation is the one that grows its own food, processes what it produces, competes confidently with international markets and create jobs for its youths.
“Government of the day acknowledges the role of agriculture in long-term economic growth and food security, hence it is committed to adopting any safe technology that will facilitate its food security and economic recovery drive for the country.
“This is aptly encapsulated in government’s agriculture policy- ‘The Green Alternative and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan’.
“Food security is crucial for good health, peace and stability for the survival of a nation.
“It is in view of this that the number two goal of the United Nation Sustainable Development Goals, seeks to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.”
The minister explained that the only way to achieve economic growth, food security and sufficiency and sustainable environment is through innovation of safe and smart scientific biosafety technology.
Earlier in his remarks, the Director-General NBMA, Dr Rufus Ebegba, assured Nigerians of the safety steps taken by the agency to ensure the genuineness of the products from the Genetically Modified Organisms.
Ebegba said: “The national biosafety agency has the responsibility to ensure that the practice of modern biotechnology and the use of genetically modified organism, which are product of modern biotechnology, do not have any adverse impact on the conservation.”
Ebegba also used the occasion to alert the nation of the agency’s effort in collaboration with the Nigerian Customs to check the fake biosafety products brought into the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the theme of the conference is: “Biosafety: Paving the Way for Safe and Sustainable Environmental Management, Agricultural Development and Economic Recovery”.