Abuja: The Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN) has advised that countries should embrace modern biotechnology. Prof. Sylvia Uzochukwu, President of the BSN, and a professor of Food Science and Biotechnology, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, Uzochukwu expressed delight that Nigeria embraced the technology, stating biotechnology was not just about providing food security and revolutionalising healthcare, but also charting the course of international trade and diplomacy. She emphasized that challenges of population growth and climate change will continue to necessitate the bioengineering of plants to improve attributes such as drought resistance on a larger scale.

She highlighted that in accordance with an international treaty, a regulatory body should be established to ensure the safe use of genetic engineering. Consequently, the Federal Government set up the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) to ensure the safety of biotechnology products.

Uzochukwu called on the NBMA to focus the regulation of new biotechnology products more on the product itself rather than the process. She explained that this would mean concentrating on the safety of the product, regardless of its production method.

She reassured that since the NBMA is mandated to ensure the safety of genetically engineered food products before their commercial release, the public should not be alarmed. She also mentioned the role of the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) in promoting biotechnology in Nigeria and regulating biotechnology products after extensive collaboration with partners over twenty years.

Uzochukwu expressed concern that apart from personnel costs, these agencies often rely on donor funds for executing their mandates. With donors withdrawing funds from projects, she hoped that government investment in science and technology would increase.