Environmental experts have highlighted the dangers of merging the National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology, NACGRAB, as National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency, NBRDA.
They urged the Federal Executive Council, FEC, to review its plans for the merger as it poses danger to Nigeria’s biosafety.
Recall that FEC, in order to enhance efficiency in the federal civil service, and reduce the cost of governance, decided to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye panel on the restructuring and rationalisation of federal agencies, parastatals and commissions. The implementation involves merging, subsuming and scrapping agencies with similar functions.
The Executive Director of Health Of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, in a statement by his media/cmmunications lead, Kome Odhomor, on Thursday explained that though the FEC’s idea of restructuring and rationalization of Federal Government agencies is a welcome development, there is need for a critical review of the current mandate of all agencies, parastatals and commissions to be merged to ensure adequate institutional support, including budgetary allocations and concrete implementation plans.
Speaking on the merger of NABDA and NACGRAB, Bassey explained that the functions of both agencies do not overlap noting that NABDA was established under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in 2001 to implement the policy that is aimed at conducting research, promotion, coordination and development of biotechnology for Nigeria.
He added that NACGRAB was established in 1987 by same ministry with a mandate to collect and conserve valuable genetic resources for food and agriculture and ensure that they are used sustainably with a genebank located in Ibadan, south-west Nigeria.
Bassey highlighted that the NACGRAB has a robust and distinctive role to regulate the seed, livestock and fisheries industries which shows a clear conflict of mandates with NABDA.
“Also, the NACGRAB coordinates the activities of the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breed and Fisheries. How then would the proposed NBRDA for example, ensure the development of new varieties of crops through genetic manipulation and approve same for commercial release?” He queried.
HOMEF’s Director of Programmes Joyce Brown noted that although both agencies have a research mandate, the focus of research is different.
Brown recommended that instead of a merger with NABDA, NACGRAB should collaborate with the National Biosafety Management Agency, NBMA, with a similar regulatory role in this case to regulate modern biotechnology activities and the release into the environment, handling, and use of genetically modified organisms which are products of modern biotechnology to prevent adverse impact on the environment and human health.
She added, “Better still, the NBMA can become a unit under the NACGRAB which would ensure institutional support and oversight for the NBMA to address the current lax biosafety regulatory system.
“However, within the NACGRAB, there needs to be a clarification of mandate – It is ironical that a center that prides itself in its commitment to the conservation of the rich Genetic Resources of the nation is the same in charge of approving the release of genetically modified varieties which threaten this very mandate.”
Food sovereignty activist and Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, noted that the proposed merger is rife with conflict saying if it pulls through, that would be the end of any form of GM regulation in Nigeria, which according to her “will be a recipe for disaster.”
Orovwuje called for the government at this time to consider setting up a policy on agroecology which is proven to address food insecurity, strengthen local economy, and ensure climate change adaptation.
