The director-general of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba, has tasked staff of the agency on dynamic approach to biosafety regulation.
He told them at a biosafety refresher course organised in collaboration with the Programme For Biosafety Systems (PBS) in Abuja to realize that the country must ensure the safety of its people and environment.
“It is a dynamic approach to ensure the safety of GMOs and it is very scientific because the product that we regulate are technologic products and the approach to the development of the product also regulate the sector.
“We have to guard the process to ensure that the application of modern biotechnology and the deployment of modified organisms as products of biotechnology are safe to the environment and human health. NBMA is a veritable institution to ensure that modern biotechnology is applied to enhance the economy,” he said.
He said NBMA would serve the country well and continue to ensure a holistic biosafety system for the safety of human health and the environment in the area of regulation of modern biotechnology.
Ebegba told the agency’s staff that the training was to update them on emerging biosafety issues and to improve their proficiency as biosafety is a dynamic issue.
He stated, “We are also mindful of organisms that are harmful to human health and the environment of which we are making strives by developing national policy on biosecurity to ensure that biosecurity is enshrined in the country. This will exhibit our competence to ensure that our mandate is delivered in the area of ensuring biosecurity”.
The NBMA boss declared that no genetically modified organisms that is unsafe would be allowed in the country as all previous GMOs were confirmed safe before release and acknowledged the wonderful support of other ministries, agencies and organizations that had worked with the agency so far to drive its mission and vision forward.
In his remarks, the PBS country director in Nigeria, Dr Mattew Dore, appreciated the growth of the agency during the past six years of its existence.
He further expressed his joy on the capacity building training held by the agency, describing it as a great opportunity to learn and support the growth of the economy and protection of the environment.
