Foundation lauds FG’s backing of biosafety plan
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) on Saturday, commended the Federal Government’s endorsement of the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
The group gave the commendation in a statement to journalists by its head of communication, Kome Odhomor.
The FG, in June, approved its NBSAP 2025 -2030, to stop biodiversity loss by 2030.
The NBSAP fully aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF), with a focus on reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
According to HOMEF, the revised NBSAP, has been adopted as a comprehensive government policy with 23 national targets, each aligned with the corresponding global biodiversity goals.
Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, said that it was a vital step towards protecting Nigeria’s biodiversity as well as advancing environmental justice.
He said, “We are especially encouraged by NBSAP’s firm stance on the regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which aligns with our long-standing advocacy for biosafety and food sovereignty. In a time when the indiscriminate adoption of genetically engineered crops is increasingly being pushed by multinational interests, NBSAP rightly cautions that unregulated GMO use could be catastrophic to our environment, health, and sustainable development,”
Also speaking, the Director of Programmes and Lead on Hunger Politics, Joyce Brown, noted that the strategy’s support for traditional plant breeding, and fair sharing of benefits from biological resources, is a welcome policy shift.
“It affirms the rights of small-holder farmers and communities to control their seeds and food system, putting the power back in the hands of people” she said
Meanwhile, the foundation urged the government to accelerate action, by halting GMO approvals, pending a biosafety audit, reviewing the National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015.
Besides, it reiterated its commitment to ensuring that Nigeria’s biodiversity thrives and free from genetic pollution as well as corporate control.
(NAN)
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