Minister of State for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Abdullahi, has commended the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Environment and the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) in the development and approval of the National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan in the country.
The Minister made the commendation in a goodwill message he gave at the unveiling and Presentation of the Approved Copy of the National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan (2022-2026) organized by the Ministry of Environment, on Tuesday, in Abuja.
Considering the recent changes and trends in the emergence of disease in one country or the other, the Minister said, it is important the country continues to make progress by making sure action plans are put in place to tackle biosecurity threats to ensure a bio-secured country.
Abdullahi further said that the country is utilizing biosecurity as a strategic and integrated tool encompassing policy and regular frameworks to analyze and manage risks in vital sectors such as food safety, animal and plant life health.
He also stated that the Ministry through its Department of Bioresources Technology (BRT) has made great efforts through collaborations with other Ministries and Agencies in the federation in September 2021, where it organized a National Counter-Terrorism Strategy and biosecurity, with stakeholders acquainted with roles and responsibilities in biosecurity.
He further stated that the effective deployment of biotechnologies by the ministry through it’s agency, the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) remains key to sustaining these strategies.
Earlier the Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Dr Rufus Ebegba, said that the Agency was established in 2015 with the key aim of ensuring the application of modern biotechnologies in environmental and human health.
He further said that the process is to improve the issues of biosecurity specifically and to make sure measures are put in place in ensuring harmful biological threats are prevented in the country.
