Status of Nigeria's Biosafety Regulation

Abstract

Nigeria’s biodiversity – both flora and fauna – is one of the major sources of genetic resources, which is highly cherished, and as such, needs conservation and sustainable utilization. The conservation of biodiversity being a common concern of humankind steered the origination of a multilateral treaty known as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and subsequently Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB). The CBD is celebrated as a comprehensive strategy for “sustainable development”, and the CPB has provisions to protect biodiversity from products of modern biotechnology. Nigeria being a signatory to the CBD and the CPB is obliged to domesticate and implement these treaties by developing its own national legal and administrative framework towards the conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity. This chapter gives an insight on the status of Nigeria’s Biosafety Regulation which includes efforts and regulatory instruments put in place by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) in fulfilment of these international obligations to ensure that the application of modern biotechnology and the handling and use of genetically modified organisms are not harmful to the conservation and sustainable utilization of biodiversity, taking into account risk to the health of Nigerians. Nigeria faces some challenges in its regulatory system, amongst which are misinformation of the public by activists and inadequate funding. Irrespective of these drawbacks, Nigeria has proven to exhibit a sound regulatory system in Africa.