Nigeria Biosafety Bill

The Nigeria Biosafety Bill is one bill that has suffered a lot of
legislative setback over the years. It was first presented to the
National Assembly in 2006 and was passed eventually in 2010 during
the Sixth Assembly, but failed to get presidential ascent before the
expiration of the last administration.
The bill amongst other things seeks to provide derived benefits from
modern biotechnology under a legal framework for economic growth,
improved agriculture, job and wealth creation, industry growth and
sustainable environment. It also aims at minimising risks to human
health, confirm and harness potential of modern biotechnology, protect
and guard against any adverse effect of GMOs on biological diversity
and the environment and guard against any economic consequences
among others.
However, the bill was returned to the Seventh Assembly for further
legislative actions with the hope that the President may ascent to it
this time round. It was on this belief that the Senate recently
conducted a public hearing on it.
One of the major issues that the bill seeks to address is the
establishment of a National Biosafety Management Agency for the
country. The agency if established would be responsible for the
development of risk management plans and strategies for protecting
human health, biological diversity and the environment from potential
risk associated with genetically modified organisms. The agency is
also to take samples and carry out laboratory analyses of crops,
products or materials for purpose of determining if they contain
genetically modified organisms and ensure compliance with the law.
It is instructive to add that the overall objective of the biosafety bill is
to provide a regulatory regime and guidance for the sustainable
development of the science of modern biotechnology, its application
and safe use of GMOs and the products thereof without prejudice and
risk to public health, environmental health, national sovereignty,
human dignity and fundamental human rights.
The Biosafety Bill covers all modern biotechnology activities,
Genetically Modified Organisms and products thereof including all
germplasm. It defines modules of practice of modern biotechnology,
the handling, transfer and use of GMOs and products thereof to ensure
safety to the environment and to human health. It is also intended to
guide different segments of society in contributing to safe application
of modern biotechnology.
The bill recognises the complex issues to be addressed by relevant
authorities in the judicious application of modern biotechnology,
ensures that modern biotechnology activities and their products
(GMOs) are safe for the environment and to human health. It bases
the deliberate release of GMO on advance informed agreement.
Furthermore, the biosafety bill defines offences and penalties for
violation; contains powers to authorise release of GMOs and practice
of modern biotechnology activities; confers the power to carry out risk
assessment/management before the release, handling and use of
GMOs; covers all genetically modified organisms/living modified
organisms, products food/feed and processing and also covers socio-
economic consideration in risk assessment.
Interestingly, Nigeria signed and ratified an internationally binding
biosafety protocol known as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in
2000 and 2002 respectively. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety is a
protocol of the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Protocol
entered into force on September 11, 2003 and currently has 160
members. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, on its own, addresses
the safe transfer, handling and use of Living Modified Organisms that
may have adverse effects on conservation and sustainable utilisation
of biodiversity, taking into account risks to human health and focusing
on trans-boundary movement of the LMOs.
The Protocol requires parties to it to develop their biosafety
administrative and regulatory framework in order to effectively
regulate activities of modern biotechnology, GMOs and products
thereof to avoid harmful effects on the environment, biodiversity and
human health. The bill is therefore to domesticate the Cartagena
Protocol on Biosafety which Nigeria has signed and ratified and to
abide by the protocol in line with our national needs. It is in
furtherance of this that Nigeria participated fully at the fifth meeting
of the Conference of Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity
serving as Meeting of Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety,
which was held on October 11 – 15, 2010, in Japan.
Modern biotechnology has been identified as an important tool that
can help countries to achieve food sufficiency/food security,
industrial growth, health improvement and environmental
sustainability.
It entails the fusion of cells beyond the taxonomic family that
overcomes natural physiological reproductive or combination barriers
and that are not techniques used in traditional breeding and selection.
It is gene specific. Nigeria adopted biotechnology policy in 2001 as
an alternative tool to achieving the objectives of biotechnology for
national development. A National Biotechnology Development Agency
was further established in 2001 to actualise the policy to promote
biotechnology activities in the country.
However, the absence of a biosafety law has hampered the activities
of the agency in the research and development in genetically modified
organisms in the country. Thereby, denying Nigeria the benefits
associated with modern biotechnology practice.
Modern biotechnology helps to produce plants that can reduce Green
House Gases thereby reducing effects of climate change; it is precise
in its trait utilisation, develops plants that have greater tolerance to
stress in marginal environment, improves growth and productivity of
plants and animals, food quantity, nutritional improvement and
consistency for healthy living. Besides, it produces new breeds
animals and plants, reduces use of pesticides and herbicides, as well
as farming land area with higher yields. In as much as modern
biotechnology has great potential, there are fears of possible adverse
impacts on the environment and human health, which has
necessitated the biosafety bill.
As rightly enthused by Prof. Shehu Ado of the institute for Agricultural
Research, Zaria, the coming on board of the bill would equip Nigerian
scientists to practise biotechnology as it relates to food, health and
the environment.
Nigeria will be denied the opportunity to harness the potential modern
technology has to offer in the field of improved food production,
medicine/health, industrial growth and environmental sustainability,
employment generation and wealth creation through the modern
biotechnology industry will be lacking.
Samson, an environmentalist, wrote in from Jabi, Abuja