Experts Fault Nigeria’s Biosafety Laws Regulatory Agency

Experts on the platform of the Health of Mother Erath Foundation, HOMEF have faulted the laws guiding the nation’s biosafety laws Regulatory agency.

In a presentation with the theme Biosafety in Nigeria: The Act, Regulation and the Challenges  Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi, FWCMLS, University of Abuja said an administrative act, whether statutory or non-statutory, will be void if it contravenes any of the mandatory and justiciable provisions of the Constitution, falling even outside the realm of fundamental rights.

Speaking during a virtual Media Trainin on biosafety with the theme: ‘Promoting Biosafety in Nigeria’, he said that some of the challenges facing the nation’s biosafety include the wide discretionary powers of the agency, biases and the acceptance of gifts

He quoted Section 25 of the National Biosafety Management Act which  provides  that“(1)The Agency shall upon the receipt of the application and the accompanying information under section 23 of this Act, display copies of such application and relevant information at such places and for such period as the AGENCY MAY, from time to time determine to enable the general public and relevant government ministries and agencies study and make comments on the application and relevant information within 21 days.

It adds that “THE AGENCY MAY, prior to the display, make announcement in at least 2 national and one local newspapers, the national Biosafety clearing house or such other news media as the agency may from time to time determine, giving summary of the application and brief information on the place, duration and time for the display”

On biases, he said contrary to section 32 of the Biosafety Act 2015 which provides that No person, shall be involved in a risk assessment review by the Agency in respect of a subject matter in which:  (a) he has direct or indirect interest of any kind; or (b) there is likely to be conflict of interest as a result of his participation in the risk assessment process, that the promoters are part of the board of the regulators.

On receiving gifts he quotes Section 18 as saying The Agency may, accept gifts of land, money or other property or things from within and outside Nigeria, on such terms and conditions, if any as may be specified by person or organization offering the gift.

He noted that the basis for biosafety is reservation of biological integrity. The ripple effect of this is the preservation of the lives of humans as whatever affects the environment affects humans consequently. It is an off shoot of the right to life and human dignity which are fundamental rights

Dr Casimir defined Biosafety as the prevention of large-scale loss of biological integrity, focusing both on ecology and human health. These prevention mechanisms include conduction of regular reviews of the biosafety in laboratory settings, as well as strict guidelines to follow. Biosafety is used to protect from harmful incidents

In his presentation titled Do We Need GMOs? HOMEF’s Director, Nnimoh Bassey said Gene Drives have the potential to dramatically transform our natural world and even humanity’s relationship to it.

“The invention of the CRISPR-CAS9 and its application to Gene Drives (also known as a “mutagenic chain reaction”) gives technicians the ability to intervene in evolution, to engineer the fate of an entire species, to dramatically modify ecosystems, and to unleash large-scale environmental changes, in ways never thought possible before”

He said the assumption of such power is a moral and ethical threshold that must not be crossed without great restraint