NABDA holds two-day workshop on Genome Editing for communicators

By Michael Jegede

In order to ensure the effective communication of Genome Editing (GEd) to the Nigerian audience, the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), has organized a two-day workshop on the emerging technology for communicators selected from different parts of the country, in collaboration with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD).

The workshop which ended on Tuesday in Abuja was designed to equip the communicators with the right knowledge about the Genome Editing technology that is said to have the solution to the problem of food shortage in the country through enhanced agricultural productivity.

In his opening remarks on Monday, the Director General (DG) of NABDA, Prof Abdullahi Mustapha said communicators have a major role to play in passing accurate information about GEd to the public.

The NABDA boss noted that the GEd technology would help tackle the challenges facing Nigeria in the different sectors, particularly in the area of agriculture.

“Over the past year, we have engaged with stakeholders and experts to ensure effective communication and promotion of GEd as a tool for national development. This included workshops aimed at strengthening institutional capacities in GEd – such as the inclusion of GEd into tertiary education curriculum, encouraging the application of GEd in demand-driven research, as well as the drafting and validation of the National Genome Editing Communication and Advocacy Strategy and Action Plan,” Prof Mustapha said.

He added that “Now, it is the turn of the media practitioners. As communicators, you play a crucial role in this initiative, with a collective responsibility to communicate the potentials and breakthroughs of GEd in a clear, accurate, and accessible manner to diverse audiences. The modules for communication and advocacy have been developed by experts across Africa, including Nigeria, to harmonize accurate information and present the position of the Continent on the application of GEd and other modern technologies as a fulcrum to attain the ‘Africa we want’ in support of the Agenda 2063.”

The Director General of National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), the regulatory agency for products of modern biotechnology, Dr. Agnes Yemisi Asagbra, in a goodwill message at the workshop, said the NBMA will continue to ensure that “Adequate measures are put in place to ensure the safe deployment of the technology and that is why we have put in place a guideline for the regulation of gene editing in Nigeria. This guideline will help us to properly regulate and ensure its safety to Nigerians and the environment.”

Genome Editing is a technique used by scientists to effect an alteration, removal or addition in the genetic material (DNA) for the purpose of achieving improved varieties in plants and animals.

Nigeria is one of the top nations in Africa making significant progress in genome editing with NABDA championing the entire process for the country to begin to have a feel of the technology, especially in the agricultural sector to guarantee food security, via the active support of AUDA-NEPAD.

Various presentations on relevant topics were made by erudite professors, scientists and communication experts invited as resource persons to the workshop.