By Joseph Ebi Kanjo, Benin

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has called on the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to review it planned merger of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology (NACGRAB).

The two agencies, after merger would go by the name National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA).

The FEC, in order to enhance efficiency in the federal service, and reduce the cost of governance, decided to implement the recommendations of the Steve Oronsaye panel on the restructuring and rationalisation of Federal agencies, parastatals and commissions.

The implementation involves merging, subsuming and scrapping agencies with similar functions.

READ ALSO: HOMEF Trains Women On Climate Change Adaptation

Reacting to the planned implementation, Nnimmo Bassey, the Executive Director, HOMEF, in a statement made available to INFO DAILY by Kome Odhomor, Media/Communications Lead, HOMEF, noted that the functions of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) and the National Centre for Genetic Resources and Biotechnology do not overlap.

The ED, while applauding the government effort at restructuring and rationalisation of federal agencies and others which, according to him, will address the long standing issues of regulatory overlaps and foster implementation and accountability, however, noted that “the NACGRAB has a robust and distinctive role to regulate the seed, livestock and fisheries industries. This means a clear conflict of mandates with NABDA.”

“Also, the NACGRAB coordinates the activities of the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breed and Fisheries. How then would the proposed NBRDA for example, ensure the development of new varieties of crops through genetic manipulation (part of NABDA’s role) and approve same for commercial release (as NACGRAB)? He insisted that NABDA is one agency that should be scrapped,” he added.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Appoints Four Professionals To Head TCN [See list]

Bassey further stated that in the implementation of the FEC decisions of Monday February 26, there is need for a critical review of the current mandate of all agencies, parastatals and commissions to be merged to ensure adequate institutional support, including budgetary allocations and concrete implementation plans.

“Where a merger is required, it is important for the operational details of the new agencies to be clarified and made public”, he added.

In her reaction, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, Joyce Brown, noted that although both agencies have a research mandate, the focus of research is different.

Brown recommended that instead of a merger with NABDA, NACGRAB should collaborate with the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) with a similar regulatory role in order to regulate modern biotechnology activities.

READ ALSO: COP28 And The Quest For Climate Justice

“Better still, the NBMA can become a unit under the NACGRAB which would ensure institutional support and oversight for the NBMA to address the current lax biosafety regulatory system,” she added.

Also reacting, Food Sovereignty Activist and Deputy Executive Director, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, noted that the proposed merger is rife with conflict, adding that it sets the stage for NABDA to swallow up whatever little traces or semblance of regulation of its activities that remains.

“Already, NABDA ‘the regulated’ acts more or less like ‘the regulator’ and exerts its influence. If this merger pulls through, we can as well say goodbye to any form of GM regulation in Nigeria, which will be a recipe for disaster,” she said.

Orovwuje, however, called on the government to consider setting up a policy on agroecology which, according to her “is proven to address food insecurity, strengthen our local economy, and ensure climate change adaptation.”