No harm found in risk assessment of GM crops — NBMA

The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has since its inception approved some permits for GM crops for confined field trials, another for commercial release and recently approved a permit for GM maize for feed processing.

The Director General of NBMA, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, who disclosed this in Abuja while receiving a team from the United States Department of Agriculture, Lagos, said due process was followed in the issuance of all the permits, adding that risk assessments were conducted and no potential harm was found.

Dr. Ebegba said the agency is to regulate the practice of modern biotechnology to ensure that it does not pose any threat to the environment and human health. 

He said the agency has signed memoranda of understanding with other government agencies to ensure that all government border agencies are on the same page on the regulation of modern biotechnology and its products in the country.

Leader of the team, Jude Akhidemor, who noted that they were on a fact-finding mission, pledged their readiness to collaborate with the agency in achieving its mandate.