Dr Rufus Ebegba, the Director General (DG) of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) said Nigerian government gives credence to issues of biosafety.

 

The DG said this when the team of African Union Development Agency (AUDA)-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) (AUDA-NEPAD) paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja on Friday.

 

“We are ready to regulate every product that comes into the country,” he said.

 

Ebegba assured Nigerians of safe food and a healthy environment.

 

“NBMA has the mandate to carry out activities that would ensure that modern biotechnology offers benefits to our nation most especially, socioeconomic benefits.

 

“We are also involved in all African Union biosafety activities.

 

“We are currently developing other guidelines for other genetic engineering applications for safety and also standard reasons,” Ebegba said.

 

He assured that harmful biological agents would not cause threat to human existence.

 

Mrs Florence Nazare, the Acting Director, AUDA-NEPAD commended their partnership with NBMA in leading negotiations in technology.

 

“We cannot underscore the role of NBMA in promoting technology, science technology innovation across Africa,” Nazare said.

 

She said they were happy to learn from the agency and commended its facilities to drive modern technology forward.

 

Nazare expressed optimism that within the framework of initiative that has brought them to Nigeria they would be able to foster inter – Africa relations.