We’re leveraging on new breeding techniques for food production – NBMA

The Director General, National Biosafety Management Agency, Agnes Asagbara has assured that science, technology and plant re-engineering will be given priority, as the agency is leveraging on new breeding techniques to boost food security in the country.

Asagbara spoke at a workshop in Abuja, explaining that the new breeding techniques are at the forefront of innovation, promising that they hold the potential to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time, from food security to sustainable.

She said: “As we embrace these advancements, it is imperative that we will also prioritise biosafety and the rigorous regulation of these technologies to ensure they deploy the new breeding techniques ethically and safely.”

According to the Director General, the agency is intending to engage in meaningful discussions, share knowledge, and explore the potential and challenges of the innovations, hoping to foster a culture of safety, responsibility, and collaboration among all stakeholders.

She therefore stressed that they are confident that the insights and outcomes from the workshop will significantly contribute to their mission of ensuring that biotechnology is developed and utilised in a manner that protects human health and the environment.

“Our objectives are aimed at educating the participants on the scientific principles and applications of new breeding techniques, to highlight the importance of biosafety; facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices that would encourage the policies that keep pace with technology,” she added.

Also, Prof. Celestine U. Aguoru of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, explained, that the new plant breeding techniques are approaches that allow development of new plant varieties with desired traits through modification of the DNA of the seeds and plant cells.

He emphasised that they are called ‘new’ because the techniques have only been developed in the last decade and half, and have evolved rapidly in the very recent years, and these apply to genetically modified organisms.