Biotechnology experts have urged the Federal Government to make greater use of biotechnology to boost food production, reduce import dependence and secure Nigeria’s food future.
They spoke separately in interviews with reporters in Abuja on Thursday.
The experts said modern science could increase yields, protect farmland and improve farmers’ incomes.
Prof. Olalekan Akinbo, a plant breeder and biotechnologist, said improved crop varieties offered the fastest route to higher output.
“Biotechnology gives us crops that resist pests, tolerate drought and yield more on the same land. That is how we feed a growing population,” he said.
He cited pod borer-resistant cowpea, approved for commercial release in 2019, as evidence that home-grown science could reduce pesticide use and crop losses.
Prof. Edet Imuk, a soil scientist, cautioned that improved seeds alone would not deliver results without healthy soils.
“You can have the best seed in the world, but if the soil is degraded, its genetic potential will never be realised,” he said.
Imuk called for wider use of biofertilisers, soil-testing services and microbial inoculants to restore degraded farmland and reduce reliance on costly chemical fertilisers.
Dr. Rose Gidado, director of the Agricultural Biotechnology Department at the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), said regulation and public awareness remained critical.
She said farmers and consumers should understand that approved biotech crops are safe. Trust, backed by sound science and regulation, would drive adoption, she told reporters.
Gidado said the agency would continue working with research institutes, regulators and farmers to ensure new technologies reached the field safely and quickly.
The experts agreed that stronger funding, farmer training and efficient seed systems would determine how quickly biotechnology translated into food on Nigerian tables.
