As Nigeria joined other six Africa countries to mark the maiden edition of the Open Forum On Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa (OFAB) day, the Director-General, and Chief Executive Officer, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha has commended OFAB in Nigeria saying the platform has taken the heat off government in the defence of the emerging technology and its product delivering.
Speaking at a programme to mark the inaugural OFAB Day in Abuja on Tuesday, Mustapha said OFAB is a well-structured platform that responds swiftly to misinformation, misrepresentation and calculated attempts to present the technology in bad light.
He said OFAB has been able to get commitment from both serving and past president of Nigeria, ministers and other high government officials.
“It drove the processes that culminated in the Establishment f National Biosafety Management Agency with such efficiency that all stakeholders supported OFAB to actualise our dream.
OFAB Africa, Project Manager, Mr Vitumbiko Chinoko, said OFAB day is an opportunity to celebrate science and a moment to reflect on the gains, challenges so far, adding that there is the need for trust building among Africans on biotechnology so as to narrow the gap between science and he farmers.
Chinoko said inadequate evidence based science reporting would have to be counted with facts.
