Every time there are innovative production methods in the world, we hear: "No, this is not for Africa." But the introduction of biotechnology is extremely important for the rapidly growing populations of African countries. Organizations of this continent are calling for the popularization of information about genetic engineering methods in the agricultural sector. The time has come for a genetic revolution on the African continent.
According to African agricultural experts, it is important that Africa joins the genetic revolution and embarks on the transformation of the agricultural sector.
According to Yarama Ndirpaya, director of partnerships and public affairs at the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, this task is especially urgent for Nigeria, which is faced with the need to feed a rapidly growing population.
Nigeria is among other African countries that seem to be playing for time or hesitating when it comes to innovative biotechnology. This effectively limits their participation in the industrial and green revolutions sweeping the world, as well as the ongoing scientific and technological revolution.
However, Ndirpaya warned that if Nigeria and other countries on the continent cannot find a place for themselves in the era of the genetic revolution, their situation will only worsen.
He noted that densely populated countries such as the United States of America, China, India and Brazil are already introducing genetic technology into agriculture to improve food security.
“Unfortunately, we always get on the train late,” says Ndirpaya. “When the green revolution came, we were left on the sidelines. Today a genetic revolution is taking place, and we can barely pull our legs. When we realize this, it may be too late. Therefore, we strongly believe that Nigeria will not be excluded from the development of biotechnology. We must leverage knowledge of all safe and trusted technologies that can improve our productivity.”
“If we are already experiencing food problems now, it is imperative for us to take care of tomorrow,” adds Ndirpaya. but due to intensive growth. We realized that biotechnology is critical for countries with populations as large as ours.”
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Issoufou Kollo Abdourhamane, Regional Representative of the African Agricultural Technology Fondation for West Africa, said that they are currently working to improve the productivity of Nigerian beans and are introducing the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene into local cultivars to increase the resistance of legumes; and research on other crops.
As Abdurhamane notes, history has shown that Africans have always been skeptical about innovation. He stressed that the AATF believes it is time for Africa to benefit from genetic technologies that effectively serve the world.
“We have noticed that every time a new technology comes along to improve agricultural production, very smart people either say 'No, this is not for Africa' or start looking for other excuses to limit African access to this information. revolution that bypassed the African continent many years ago. At that time, Asia, too, was in a difficult situation, was able to use technological advances to feed its citizens - while production per capita in Africa was declining, Abdurhamane said.
“At the AATF, we don't think there are technologies that are both bad for Africa and good for the rest of the world,” he added. “We are people like everyone else. Therefore, all the technologies that benefit the United States of America, South Africa, China and India can have a positive impact on the African continent. Technology - technology everywhere, science - science everywhere. These concepts are universal. When scientific research leads to a practical result, it benefits all of humanity, regardless of skin color or ethnicity. This is our philosophy."
“There are scientists among us with no professional education in biology, medicine or agriculture who think they are better versed in this industry than Western professors, who scare people and are ready to find any arguments to express their opinion on television and in the news to prove that that GMOs are dangerous and cause cancer,”continued Abdurkhamane.
“We believe that respected scientists who have been working in the region for over 40 years should share the facts with the population. Because the use of scientific and technological advances in agriculture can really lead to amazing results,”he added.
Rose Gidado, National Coordinator of the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Nigeria, noted that no danger has been identified in 40 years of genetic engineering practices in other countries. Their safety is guaranteed by national and international protocols.
“Nigeria has a National Biosafety Management Agency under the Federal Ministry of the Environment, whose researchers are responsible for initiating the use of genetic engineering techniques and making its products safe for humans, animals and the environment,” Gidado said.
“To ensure that products are safe for farmers and consumers, multiple safety protocols must be followed nationally and internationally. So far, the use of biotechnology has not had any detrimental effect on society,”she said.
According to Gidado, if Nigeria starts introducing biotechnology into the agricultural sector, it will do so in accordance with foreign principles. As a result, GDP will increase, and advances in the agricultural sector will contribute to the achievement of food security and help feed a multimillion-dollar population.
“We need these technologies. We do not take them for a panacea, but we believe that they can at least help solve some of our problems, which also include slow mechanization and many others (related to innovation),”she says.
Agricultural experts paid a courtesy call to the leadership of the Leadership Group Ltd, headquartered in Abuja. Gidado says the courtesy visit was aimed at ensuring that partnerships were established between scientists and the publishing house, and facts were provided to Nigerians instead of myths, so that the poor people who most need genetic technology were not left behind in the biotech revolution.
Dele Fanimo, chief operating officer of Leaderdhip, has pledged to collaborate with a team of academics and disseminate information through the publication's platform. He also criticized the deliberate distortion of scientific facts on the continent and called for the popularization of agricultural knowledge for optimal results.
“You have to take the initiative,” he advised, “Get involved at the grassroots level, because the majority of those who will benefit from biotechnology will be rural people, and we have ways to bring the truth to the general public,” he added, “With us are public radio stations that broadcast news throughout the country. We also have a daily newspaper, Leadership A Yau (the Hausa version of Leadership newspaper), which is published for those who do not know English and can only read in the native language. They, too, should be aware of the benefits of biotechnology. To achieve positive effects, you also need to involve civil society organizations, traditional institutions and other institutions that are interested in promoting the use of genetic engineering in agriculture."
Debbo Mballo