National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has reassured Nigerians that the agency is saddled with the additional mandate of ensuring biosecurity in the country.
Dr Agnes Asagbra, Director-General (D-G) NBMA gave the assurance at a press briefing to mark her two years in office in Abuja on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
She said that the agency had strengthened biosecurity through strategic partnerships beyond food and agriculture, adding that biotechnology intersects with biosecurity.
“This is why NBMA has forged strategic partnerships with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the INTERPOL.
“Together, we have established the National Biosecurity Advisory Committee;inaugurated the National Technical Working Group on Biosecurity and initiated a National Biosecurity Action Plan from (2022 to 2026).
“These steps ensure that Nigeria is prepared to detect, prevent, and respond to any form of biological threat, whether from natural outbreaks, laboratory accidents, or bioterrorism,” Asagbra said.
The D-G said that in doing so, the environment and biodiversity would be protected, as well as the lives of people and the sovereignty of the nation.
“Under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the NBMA is proud to have protected Nigeria’s biodiversity from unintended Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) threats.
“We have also enhanced environmental health by promoting low-chemical agriculture and advanced national food security by enabling safe innovation.
“Surveillance of GMO Products in Supermarkets is one of our proudest achievements in the past year, and it has seen to the successful surveillance and tracking of GMOs in 32 supermarkets across Nigeria.
“This exercise was not a routine inspection, but a national effort to ensure that only approved GMO products are sold to the Nigerian public,” she said.
She said that the agency had enforced proper labeling standards in line with international best practices; and strengthened consumer confidence in the food system.
Asagbra said that the exercise contributed directly to the preservation of biodiversity by preventing the unintended release or circulation of unauthorised organisms that may pose ecological risks.
“It also ensures that our people are informed and protected when it comes to their food choices.
“These two years have been driven by a clear mission: to regulate the safe and responsible application of modern biotechnology in Nigeria.
“This is done in a manner that safeguards human health, protects our environment, conserves biodiversity, and supports our national aspiration for food security and sustainable development.
“We have taken the bold step to accredit three major institutions to conduct GMO experimentation, and we certified nine facilities nationwide to handle Food, Feed, and Processing (FFP) of GMO materials,” Asagbra stated.
She added that biosafety does not end on the farm. It continues through the value chain from storage to processing to your dinner table.
By Abigael Joshua