By Emmanuel Elebeke

The National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, and African Agricultural Technology Foundation, AATF, are set to collaborate on research and development activities capable of reducing post-harvest crop losses and enhancing nutrition security among Nigerians.

Leading a team of researchers from the agency on a courtesy visit to the West African Office of the AATF,  Director General of NABDA, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, noted that with the expanded mandate of NABDA to embark on research activities, AATF remained the best place to launch the partnership drive to begin research on how to improve the shelf life of our vegetable crops and save the country and our farmers from the huge wastage suffered annually.

He said AATF had the experience and network that had proven over the years to be dependable and capable of assisting NABDA and other research organisations on the continent to proffer solutions to food and nutrition challenges.

“For nearly two decades, NABDA has championed the promotion of biotechnological tools that offer solutions to crop improvement challenges.

”With our Act now in place, we are venturing into research to develop proof of concept to show that the technologies we are promoting are safe and have the potential to address our food problems,” he added.

AATF’s Regional Representative for West Africa, Dr. Jean Baptiste, said that the collaboration sought by NABDA was timely and mutually beneficial as the whole country would benefit from such relationship.

He commended NABDA for the advocacy, outreach and communication efforts in promoting biotechnology and its products in the country, highlighting that the agency played a critical role in popularizing genetically-modified organisms, GMOs, in Nigeria.