Empowering the Legal Front
In a landmark effort to strengthen the legal framework supporting biotechnology in Nigeria, a one-day national workshop was held for Attorney-General Counsels and legal practitioners on Wednesday, 21st May 2025 in Abuja, with a strong representation from the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
The event, which focused on Building Capacity for Lawyers on Biotechnology and Biosafety Litigation, brought together seasoned scientists, policy advocates, and legal professionals to bridge the knowledge gap in modern agricultural biotechnology and biosafety laws.
The Executive Director of IAR, Prof. Ado Yusuf, in his keynote remarks, emphasized the urgent need for Nigerians to embrace modern agricultural innovations to combat food insecurity and attain national food self-sufficiency. He stressed the critical role of legal experts in understanding the science of biotechnology to provide informed, strategic support to both the public and private sectors.
Prof. Yusuf called on the government to tackle the soaring costs of farm inputs such as fertilizers and agrochemicals. He warned that crashing local grain prices through unchecked importation—without subsidizing input costs—could leave farmers vulnerable, noting that it now takes “several bags of harvest to buy just 10 bags of fertilizer needed to cultivate a hectare of maize.”
Highlighting IAR’s role, he stated that the institute has developed multiple biotech innovations to reduce farm drudgery and enhance productivity, citing Bt Cotton, SAMPEA 20T (PBR Cowpea), and the TELA Maize series (SAMMAZ 72T–75T)—all of which were released under strict biosafety compliance and in line with international best practices.
Two renowned IAR scientists and Principal Investigators, Prof. Mohammad F. Ishiyaku (PBR Cowpea) and Prof. Rabiu Adamu (TELA Maize), delivered highly engaging presentations on the science, safety, and regulatory backing of GM crops in Nigeria. They dispelled popular myths about genetically modified crops, assuring that the technology is safe, regulated, and essential for agricultural resilience.
The Director-General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Agnes Asagbra, represented by Mr. Abisabo Adamu, outlined the evolution of biosafety governance in Nigeria and NBMA’s legal mandate, enforcement capacity, and milestones.
The workshop featured enriching presentations on biosafety litigation and biotechnology law by legal experts including:
• Barr. Oluwagbeminiyi Olajitan Popoola – International Legal Instruments on Biotechnology
• Ruth Manza – In-depth Review of the NBMA Act
• Keziah Chomba – Emerging Trends in African Biosafety Litigation
• Barr. Frank Tietie – Nigeria’s Biosafety Legal Landscape
The high point of the workshop was the presentation of certificates to participants, who expressed deep appreciation for the insights gained. They pledged to support biotechnology governance and litigation with newfound confidence and scientific understanding.
This workshop marks a giant leap toward integrating legal systems into the future of agricultural innovation and ensuring that biotechnology thrives under sound legal, ethical, and scientific foundations.
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