An expert in agricultural research, Olalekan Akinbo, said on Friday in Abuja that prioritising research on key crops and livestock is vital to agriculture in Africa.

Mr Akinbo, technical lead at the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation, said this in an interview.

He stated that targeted crop research would drive innovation, leading to the development of a dynamic regulatory framework that would evolve in tandem with scientific advancements, while maintaining robust ethical and safety standards.

He said that effective collaboration among stakeholders in the genome editing sector was critical for making progress.

“Therefore, scientists, researchers, product developers, and biosafety regulators must align their efforts and speak with a common voice,’’ he said.

Mr Akinbo is the technical lead for the Genome Editing Initiative of the AUDA-NEPAD Centre of Excellence in Science, Technology, and Innovation.

He said that building on the collaborative foundation, enhancing capacity, and developing infrastructure were imperative in bolstering food production on the continent. This included equipping laboratories with modern genome editing tools and establishing specialised centres of excellence across the continent.

He advised that to ensure African scientists and researchers remained at the forefront of the field, comprehensive training programmes were necessary, as this would enable them to keep pace with cutting-edge techniques such as base editing and prime editing.

“Strategic collaborations with international institutions will further facilitate knowledge transfer and practical skill development, ultimately accelerating advancements in genome editing,’’ he said.

The expert said that public engagement and education were also vital in harnessing the potential of genome editing.

He also said it was essential to involve a diverse range of stakeholders, including farmers, policymakers, and civil society, in the process.

According to him, this would ensure that technology meets the needs of African communities.

He said effective science communication was crucial and urged scientists to collaborate with trained journalists and media professionals to convey complex information clearly to the public.

“To expedite progress in genome editing, strategic partnerships are necessary. Public-private collaborations can drive investment in research and development, accelerating the commercialisation of genome-edited products,’’ Mr Akinbo said. 

(NAN)