The Director-General of National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, disclosed Nigeria’s upcoming role as the host of a significant international biotechnology conference on biotechnology in an interview on Thursday in Abuja.
The announcement indicates Nigeria’s increasing prominence in the field and emphasizes its commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration on a global scale.
With this conference, Nigeria aims to provide a platform for experts, researchers, and stakeholders from around the world to convene, exchange ideas, and explore the latest advancements in biotechnological research and applications.
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Mustapha said that the conference would take place in June, adding that the agency was determined to introduce new things for the benefit of Nigerians.
“That is why we are organising this international conference where people across the globe will showcase what they are doing in their various countries in biotechnology.
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“NABDA will also showcase what we are doing and had been doing to engage all our people in the country,” he said.
He said that the conference would offer platform where industries, private organisations, universities and others would have the opportunity to showcase their works.
He said that the essence was to enhance collaborations to drive growth, productivity and knowledge.
The director-general said that the conference would be tailored around environment, industry, agriculture, genomics and bioinformatics as well as health.
Mustapha said that he had inaugurated a committee toward organising the conference, adding that it had started work.
“The Nigerian policy on biotechnology was prepared in 2000, and I have seen that its about time to effect a change.
“This is imperative because the world is moving fast from what was regarded as the norm to a certain level of precision and accuracy in terms of investigations and deliverables,” he added.
He said that Nigeria could meet up with advanced countries’ biotechnology as it could boast of scientists and experts.
“That is why we are reviewing the National Policy on Biotechnology because Nigeria should be looking at the international community, not just West Africa or Africa.
“Hence, whatever document we are going to produce is going to look at Nigeria and its projects in the next five to 20 years.
“This policy is what will drive Nigeria’s biotechnology to success,’’ Mustapha said.
As part of efforts to shape the future of biotechnology in Nigeria, Mustapha, on Feb. 20, inaugurated the secretariat for the National Biotechnology Policy Review Committee.
For more than two decades, the National Biotechnology Policy provided the foundation for NABDA’s efforts.
However, with the evolving nature of biotechnology and pressing need for a dynamic policy framework that aligns with contemporary challenges and opportunities, it became necessary to inaugurate the secretariat for robustness.
The secretariat is to drive the implementation of the national biotechnology policy review framework, fostering synergy and enhancing communication among stakeholders.
NAN
