Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, Director General, National Biotechnology Development Agency(NABDA), has stressed the need to intensify public awareness on the applications and benefits of biotechnology.
Mustapha spoke in Abuja at the ongoing three-day training workshop for lawyers, organised by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), in collaboration with the National Biosafety Management Agency.
Represented by Dr Rose Gidado, Country Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology, Mustapha said that public awareness was necessary in order to maximise the gains of modern biotechnology.
He noted that modern biotechnology regulation, vis-a-vis the development of a biosafety legal regime in Nigeria, followed an evolutionary pattern, with each successive step being an improvement on the preceding level.
Accordingly, he said the world of modern biotechnology practice was rife with complex legal issues, ranging from obtaining regulatory approvals, liability issues, and financial support, among others.
“However, navigating the legal issues surrounding biotechnology around the globe, requires highly specialised knowledge in various legal areas.
“This has opened a new window for lawyers in Nigeria and Africa at large, as biotech lawyers will emerge and of course they will be in demand,’’ Mustapha said.
He also hinted that biotechnology law was evolving quickly in a highly specialised field that stems from science and technology legal issues.
He said this was closely related to pharmaceutical law and focuses on resolving legal issues in the field of biotechnology.
“The issues may include compliance with biotechnology regulations and intellectual property protection as an example,’’ he said.
He also said that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)panel of eminent experts on ethics in food and agriculture, had recommended a comparative study of regulations concerning biotechnology.
According to him, this included Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), exploring the possibility and desirability of harmonising such regulations.
“Such regulations balance a multitude of interests and reflect the legal traditions of the countries concerned.
“However, a comparison of legislation of relevance can assist in identifying major trends and gaps, and in understanding the state of the current regulatory framework around the world,’’ Mustapha said.
The three-day training was organised for lawyers to strengthen their knowledge on modern biotechnology and biosafety regulations as well as matters such as intellectual property related to biotechnology.