Nigeria can tackle food deficit with biotechnology – Acting DG, NABDA

What is the role of biotechnology in agriculture?Well, biotechnology is an old and new science, in the sense that it has been in practice from time immemorial. The technology of selecting varieties of crops, breeds of livestock that show better appearance and traits out of a lot and ensuring their propagation is biotechnology. The technology […]

What is the role of biotechnology in agriculture?
Well, biotechnology is an old and new science, in the sense that it has been in practice from time immemorial. The technology of selecting varieties of crops, breeds of livestock that show better appearance and traits out of a lot and ensuring their propagation is biotechnology. The technology of crossing these apparently better varieties and breeds so as to ensure better traits and yields is also biotechnology. Now, the current trend is to go specifically for those traits. That is what makes biotechnology now a topical issue. Even the practice of agriculture itself is biotechnology if you can go by that definition. So, the role of biotechnology in agriculture is an old practice in the sense that man is continuously trying to improve the yield of crops, livestock traits for better exploitation by humanity.  So, in that respect, I can say that biotechnology cannot be separated from agricultural practices.
What contribution has your agency  made to the development of agriculture in Nigeria?
We have played numerous roles in the area of encouraging farmers to take up improved varieties of crops, in the area of accepting the technology in general. We have been involved in serious advocacy programmes nationwide, and we have also been involved in developing bio-fertilisers that are more acceptable to the generality of humanity than those ones that are difficult to come by. So, we have been involved in the effort of ensuring that farmers and practitioners in agriculture are exposed to technologies that can help them improve their yields, that can give them varieties that are more desirable.  
Specifically, what is NABDA’s achievement in the area of new agricultural technologies and innovations since inception?
This agency for instance, has acquired the technology for mass production of improved or elite varieties of tree crops, food crops and so many other crops that can be propagated using micro-propagation technique. It is a technology that is in use globally. We succeeded in bringing that technology to Nigeria, whereby within a short period, we can propagate elite plantlets using the technology of temporary immersion bioreactor.
That is a major achievement because we are the first to bring it into Nigeria. The first temporary immersion bioreactor is domiciled at NAGRAB, which is a centre that is under NABDA at Ibadan. Now we are trying to replicate that in other parts of the country. We now brought one to the headquarters here, there is another one in Maiduguri trying to kick-off. It was after that, that the Sheda Science and Technology Complex bought the technology. They, too, already have it. So, that is one new technology that we can boast of having introduced in Nigeria.
Like I mentioned earlier, we have gone into the production of bio-fertilisers. Bio-fertilisers are produced using living  organisms to breakdown agricultural materials by fermentation to give a more eco-friendly products. So, we have been able to do that and we have quite a number of products in that line.
And then, we are also working with our research establishments to backcross biotech products that have been developed that are useful in other parts of the country. We are backcrossing our products with the local varieties of similar crops so that they will eventually be acceptable to our local farmers. You know that farmers get used to varieties of crops that they are familiar with, and they do not easily accept new varieties introduced to them. So, in order for them to accept, we ensure that they use the improved varieties with the ones that are acceptable to the generality of farmers so that eventually, they are the ones that now serve as advocates to propagate this message to the public.     
How have your technologies impacted on the rural farmers across the country?
Well, I mean, statistics are not directly available to us. But we know for sure that the farmers we have come in contact with readily accept our products. And they have no doubt, whatsoever, as to the sincerity of the message we are trying to pass across to them. It is what they can see. They can see the difference between what is being offered to them and what they have been used to in terms of yield and in terms of traits.
What are the major challenges of the agency?
The number one challenge is funding. We do not have enough fund to be able to carry out the kind of work we would like to do. Secondly, and equally as important, is the non-passage of the bio-safety bill. Because it’s when the bio-safety bill is passed that our research institutes will be free to practice fully. That is the law. The precautionary principles state that all precautions must be put in place before they practice fully.     
Concerns are being raised about Genetically Modified Organisms, GMO, including crops and livestock, how would you react to this?
As a biological scientist that knows exactly the technology of arriving at this Genetically Modified Organisms, I will say there is no cause for alarm at all. And if you look back into history,  there is no new technology that has come without attendant opposition to it. You know, every new idea, you will find people that will rise up against it. Biotechnology is nothing new. I want to say that this opposition is borne mainly out of ignorance. Ignorance of the science that is behind the technology. Once a good understanding is there, there is no cause for alarm at all.
Moreover, there is no new product of biotechnology that takes less than 10 years to come out, which implies that a lot of caution, a lot of work, a lot of studies go into the technology before a product is released. And so, I can tell you that any biotechnology product that you see in the market must have gone through rigorous research work before they are brought out.
Your products, like the mass produced plantlets and others, are they genetically modified?
No, they are not genetically modified. They are quality products, I can say. Because the practice is that we go into the cellular structure of the plant, select them and multiply them, and make sure that they regenerate in a manner that they can give us millions of plantlets, unlike the previous practice where you have to wait for the gestation period of a particular plant. Some of them take up to five, ten years before you can get them to produce seeds. But this one, we go straight into the cellular structure, pick the cells and because appropriate environment has been designed for them, when you drop them into that environment, the cells you cannot see with your eyes, begin to grow as individual plants, instead of waiting for the plants to produce seeds, which you have to put into the soil to germinate. So, this is essentially what we are doing.
We have not produced any genetically modified food for the reason that our bio-safety bill is the obstacle. The biotechnologists that are in this field are part and parcel of the society and will not bring out anything that is inimical to the development of any human being. So, I appeal to Nigerians, especially the farmers to embrace the technology so that we can move forward in terms of addressing our food deficit challenges.