GMO: Biosafety agency goes tough on erring superstores, stakeholders

The Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr Rufus Ebegba, has said the agency will clamp down on erring superstores and other stakeholders that contravene the law in dealing with Genetically Modified Food (GMO).

Ebegba, who said the agency has been ensuring the buy-in of all stakeholders before enforcement, said the establishment of biosafety help desks in 26 states will further boost the activities of the agency.

While addressing journalists in Abuja, he said the need for states to have a biosafety desk which will work with the agency was discussed at the last council meeting on environment adding that with the development, the agency will have three desk offices in some selected states of the federation.

“This will help further strengthen surveillance and monitoring especially in states that are close to the borders,” he said.

He said the agency has also partnered with other organizations locally and internationally in an effort to achieve its mandate of safeguarding human health and the environment.

“As part of our partnership efforts we have interacted with Interpol and they gave us some equipment to further enhance our work. We are also working very closely with the Nigerian Customs through the Nigerian Integrated Customs Information System which would allow the agency to get prior notification before GMOs are imported into the country,” he said.

He said as part of efforts to expand its monitoring and surveillance, the agency has also signed various memorandum of understanding (MoU) with some sister agencies such as Voice of Nigeria, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and National Seed Council.

He said the agency has also been using its state-of-the-art equipment in testing sample and ensuring their safety for Nigerians while its staff have been trained and equipped for the task of protecting the country from unapproved Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).