Bio-security: Don implores African leaders to implement policies on invasive insects

A visiting assistant Professor at the D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Dr. Bridget Aito-Bobadoye, has tasked African leaders to implement policies on re-emerging invasive pests on the continent.

Bobadoye, who made the call on Friday in Ilorin at a session with newsmen, urged African countries to implement a harmonised bio-security act.

She advised the 54 African nations to adopt new regulatory frameworks on bio-security policies where African forests can be safeguarded against proliferation of invasive insect pests which can negatively impact forest ecosystems.

She observed that developing a national bio-security framework would scale up preparedness against sporadic insect pest outbreaks within Nigeria’s borders.

The expert described bio-security as the prevention of disease-causing agents entering or leaving any place where they can pose a risk to farm animals, humans, or the safety and quality of a food product.

The principal research fellow at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria emphasised the need to ensure that emerging or re-emerging invasive insect pests and pathogens are stopped before entering borders, new forest ecosystems or countries.

“This will help protect human, animal, and environmental health and secure food safety. Forests in Africa are becoming fragmented at an alarming rate and this is causing huge ecological imbalances.

“Insect pest invasions and outbreaks are becoming more frequent with more severity, which is exasperated by climate change,” she said.

The don pointed out that this has led to an increase in bio-security threats, which come in various forms such as insect pests and infectious pathogens.