The introduction of biotech cowpea in Nigeria has been commended by the US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Nigeria’s National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), and agriculture and biotech specialists.
They urged African countries to embrace biotechnology as a proactive means of bolstering the continent’s food and nutrition security.
Smith Gerald, Counselor for Agricultural Affairs, US Mission Nigeria, spoke at a workshop in Abuja titled “PBR Cowpea (Beans): A Model Public Private Partnership (PPP) for Food and Nutrition Security in Nigeria,” noted that advances in agricultural biotechnology will help to improve crop yields.
He noted that the success of the transgenic bean has added a new crop to the global biotech basket from Africa. Nigeria is championing the crucial role of biotech cowpeas.
“Thousands of farmers across Nigeria who planted the biotech cowpea this planting season attest to the multiple benefits they derived compared to prior seasons. The commercialization of the transgenic bean underscores that extensive safety studies were conducted to demonstrate that it is safe for both human and livestock consumption,” Smith stated.
Smith added that the new paradigm of scientific collaboration was due to unprecedented joint efforts and called on biotech and agricultural experts including multilateral entities, governments, the private sector, NGOs and academia to strategically collaborate to increase the adoption of transgenic crops across Africa with the aim of strengthening food security.
“The workshop was a prime occasion for stakeholders in the biotech space to strengthen innovative partnerships, especially public, private partnerships that will drive the future of biotechnology in Nigeria. The commercialization of biotech cowpea has become the latest milestone in Nigeria’s robust biosafety regulatory process,” Smith noted.
The workshop was organised by the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Mission in Nigeria in partnership with National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), African Agricultural Technology Foundation, (AATF), National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) and Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa.
The Foreign Agricultural Service is the overseas arm of the United States Department of Agriculture that offers a variety of services to American and Nigerian agribusiness companies, government and non-government entities involved in agricultural trade and development.
The service helps developing countries strengthen sustainable agricultural practices by providing capacity building opportunities.
