With the theme: ‘Harnessing Biotechnology Towards Building a Knowledge-Driven and Sustainable Bioeconomy in a Post-Oil Era’, the 33rd International Conference of the Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN) held in Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, Ebonyi State from 28th March to 1st April 2021 had the crème de la crème in the biotechnology sector in attendance.
Country Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Africa, Nigeria Chapter, Dr Rose Maxwell Gidado who spoke at the conference, highlighted the roles that biotechnology could play in advancing the Nigerian economy in terms of poverty alleviation and disease eradication. In her presentation, titled, ‘Biotechnology advocacy in Nigeria: ‘Leveraging on science-policy nexus for sustainable research and development agenda,’ Dr Gidado explained that biotechnology is a collection of techniques that involve the use of whole or part of organism(s) to modify existing solutions or create new solutions to meet challenges in the health, agriculture, industry and environment.
She also explained the role that OFAB played in creating enabling policy environment for facilitating the approval for the commercialization of two Bt. crops: Bt. Cotton in 2018 and PBR Cowpea in 2019 by the National Varietal Release Committee in Nigeria. With the commercialization of two Genetically Modified Crops: Bt. Cotton and Bt. Cowpea, the country, according to her is on its way to not just attaining Food security but Nutrition security. The two commercialized crops are on seed certification and multiplication stage. Commercial cultivation will commence on August 2021. She told the conference that by the development, farmers can now have access to modern biotech cotton seeds. Dr Gidado was represented in the conference by OFAB Program Assistant, Abraham Isah.
The 2021 BSN conference also boasted the participation of the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu who delivered the keynote address. The Minister who was represented by a Plant Biotechnologist at Covenant University, Prof. Olawole O. Obembe, explained that bioeconomy is an emerging paradigm that is building bridges between biotechnology and economy as well as between science, industry, and society. He said biotechnology is the foundation of bioeconomy.
On the possible potential of Bioeconomy addressing food security and environmental sustainability, he said that Agriculture provides biomass for the food and other bio-based industries and could lead to competition. Also, Bioeconomy, according to him, is critical for protecting and restoring biological diversity and ecosystems e.g., Microbial-based fertilizers and phyto-microbiome approaches, and sustainable intensification of land use.
Earlier ih his welcome remarks, the Chairman, BSN Board of Trustees, Vincent Ado Tenebe, said translating the much available science and technology information into cash requires presenting the techniques to the farmers for harnessing bioeconomy.
President of BSN biotechnology tools are very instrumental to Nigeria’s strategic quest for a robust bioeconomy. This will boost exploitation of abundant biological resources in the country for massive wealth and employment creation.
He further indicated that the five sub-themes of the conference were predicated on Agri-biotechnology, Nano-biotechnology, Medical and biopharmaceutical biotechnology, Environmental biotechnology and waste management and Trends in biotechnology innovations.
Nigerian students in tertiary institutions participated in inter-institutions debate and a quiz competition on the sidelines of the conference. The topic was “Should Biotechnology be more inclusive in the Nigeria’s Economy? Representatives of the student were Members of the Society from the University of Calabar (UniCal), Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (AEFUNAI), Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) . Students of AEFUNAI were best in quiz competition while University of Calabar won the debate. It was an eye opener on how versed the students are in the knowledge of biotechnology. This encouragement is an attestation to the success of advocacy campaigns carried out by OFAB across Nigeria.
Other participants in the conference include Engr. Dave Nweze Umahi, fnse, fnate, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State; Prof Olawole O. Obembe, UNESCO Chair, Plant Biotechnology; President of the Nigerian Academy of Science (NAS), Prof Ekanem Ikpi Braide, FAS; The Vice Chancellor, AE-FUNAI, Prof Sunday O. Elom, Prof. Olu Odeyemi, Department of Microbiology, Obafemi University (OAU), Ife; Dr Hitoshi Natagawa, Prof Stella Smith, Dr. Chikelu Nba, Team Leader, Seas and Plant Genetic Resources, Plant Production and Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy; Dr Issoufou Abdurhamane Kollo, Regional Director, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and Dr Francis Chuks Ogbonnaya; Prof A Vincent Ado Tenebe, Chairman, Board of Trustees, BSN and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State; Dr Hitoshi Nakagawa, Former Director, Institute of Radiation Breeding, NIAS, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan; Prof Stella Ifeanyi Smith, Director of Research, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) and Professor of Microbiology at the Mountain Top University, Ogun State.