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Over 70 CSOs Want Senate To Proceed With NBMA Re-amendment Bill

Published

4 years ago

September 15, 2022

Editor

By Joseph Ebi Kanjo

… Say Science Must Align With Country’s Realities

…Those Against The Bill Have No Regard For The Environment – Nnimmo Bassey

Groups of civil society organizations, researchers, farmers,
nutritionists and consumer groups representing millions of Nigerians
have called on the Nigerian Senate to proceed with the bill for an
amendment of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act (Amended
2019).

This call was made following the public hearing on the bill which held
on 31 August and 1 September 2022.

In a statement signed by over seventy (70) CSOs, different groups of farmers and experts, etc, a soft copy of which was made available to INFO DAILY, the coalition condemned the fact that
there was no real representation of CSOs and farmers at the public
hearing, stressing that amendment to the bill is vital for the protection of Nigeria’s biosafety, genetic/nutritional diversity, the rights of local food producers, and for economic resilience.

The groups also noted that “scientific integrity, social responsibility and accountability are not negotiable, and no technology should be exempted from these values.”

On Friday 2 September 2022, it was reported that some “experts reject biosafety act re-amendment” on the grounds that it would retrogress science and development in Nigeria.

But responding to this claim, the coalition stressed that science and development
must align with the country’s realities/context, adding that it must pass through the test of safety and sustain-ability. “Anything beside this is an ambush.”

Contributing to the argument, Nnimmo Bassey, Director, Health of the Mother Earth Foundation, one of the CSOs that signed the statement, said that those who are against
this bill have demonstrated utter disregard for the environment and the well-being of human.

He emphasized that the bill in its current state is anti-people, and does not protect the consumers or farmer’s interest and allows all sorts of genetically modified products into the country with lax regulation.

Also contributing, Akinbode Oluwafemi, Director of Corporate Accountability and Public
Participation for Africa, CAPPA, also a signatory to the statement, noted that science must be in the
interest of the people, the general public and not just a few industry
players.

Oluwafemi added that having a strict regulation of GMOs in
Nigeria means that “we are able to utilize science in a way that is
consistent with the standards of biosafety, ethics and good judgement.”

On his part, the Coordinator, Food Sovereignty Programme at Friends of the Earth Nigeria and Africa, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, noted that “lack of strict provision on the Precautionary Principle, the absence of strict
liability, the conflicting composition of the board of the NBMA (with
the National Biotechnology Development Agency as as well other promoters
of GMOs on it) and provisions permitting the Agency to receive gifts from various sources are just a few of the gaps in the watered-down NBMA Act that this bill seeks to address.”

According to Bassey-Orovwuje, “if the promoters of GMOs are so proud of their products, why do they have such a morbid fear of strict
regulation? If the technology is as safe as they claim then it should
meet up with the standards of safety and accountability.”

A Molecular Biologist, Ifeanyi Casmir warned that the direction science will take Nigeria with a lax regulatory system is one of disaster and
regret.

“We are not against science but those who take advantage of the
weak regulatory architecture to mastermind the importation and release of sundry untested and unproven GM products making the country an
experimental ground.”

On her part, Gloria Okon, leader of a woman farmer group in Katsina, stated that
farmers are most affected by GMOs, adding that the implications they bring and
thus their interest must be upheld.

She applauded the move by the Senate to ensure strict regulation of GMOs and implored that they see it
through despite the opposition from the promoters of the technology.

The groups, therefore, encouraged the lawmakers to proceed with the amendment bill and not give up nor give in to pressure from the purveyors of GMOs and
accompanying toxic chemicals.

“We need a regulatory system that can assure the country of its biosafety and not just dance to the tune of
those it is set up to check or merely imitate other countries whose
socio-economic and ecological systems are different from ours,” the coalition added.

Related Topics:HOMEF Nnimmo Bassey Senate

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Group Commends COREN For Training Engineers In Engineering Failure, Forensic Investigation In Nigeria

Published

2 hours ago

September 25, 2026

Editor

Foundation for the Development of Shira Community (FODESCO) in Shira Local Government Area of Bauchi state has commended the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) for conducting a pioneer training on Engineering Failure and Forensic Investigation (EFFI) for 50 licensed engineering practitioners across the country.

Engr. Shehu Wakili, the Chairman of the Foundation made the commendation in an interview with newsmen on Friday.

According to him, the training which was conducted by COREN in collaboration with the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute (NBRRI) and the Chartered Institute of Forensic and Certified Fraud Investigators of Nigeria (CIFCFIN), was to equip engineers and professionals from academia, industry, and government MDAs with practical skills to investigate infrastructure failures and prevent recurring building collapses.

He added that the training was also to build a pool of trained specialists who could investigate building collapses and other engineering failures, determine their root causes, and recommend measures to prevent recurrence, saying that the trainees would form part of a register of trained and certified forensic engineering investigators.

He further lauded COREN for the subsequent induction of its member, Engr. Abdullahi Muhammad MNSE, who among the 50 participants, hails from Bauchi state as a Chartered Engineering Forensic and Failure Investigator (CEFFI), certified by CIFCFIN.

“FODESCO is proud of him and wishes him well in all his endeavours”, he prayed.

Wakili, also the Chairman, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Bauchi state chapter, revealed that the training covered failure analysis, forensic investigation methodologies, risk assessment, and professional reporting.

“This initiative supports broader efforts by COREN and the National Assembly to enforce stricter building codes, identify quackery, and ensure accountability across the construction sector,” he said.

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NBS: Lagos, Rivers, Enugu Top List As States Generated N5.15trn In 2025

Published

2 hours ago

September 25, 2026

Editor

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has disclosed that 36 states and the FCT generated a total of ₦5.15 trillion in 2025, indicating a growth rate of 40.93 percent from ₦3.65 trillion recorded in 2024.

NBS stated on Thursday citing the Nigeria Revenue Service ( NRS) as source of its information that Lagos emerged top on the list of states with the highest revenue generation in the sum of ₦1.77 trillion.

“Followed by Rivers state ₦428.42 billion and Enugu with IGR record of ₦406.77 billion in the period referenced.”

The. Bureau said Yobe, Ebonyi and Sokoto states reported the least revenues with ₦16.01 billion, ₦17.18 billion and ₦20.48 billion, respectively.

According to NBS, Pay As You Earn (PAYE) was the most tax revenue recorded during the period, valued at ₦2.64 trillion, representing 69.51 percent of the total tax revenue collected, while capital gains tax was the least with ₦12.40 billion while the share of total tax revenue to total IGR was 73.64 percent nationally.

“Other states and their share of IGR are FCT – N356.34 billion, Ogun – N252.36 billion, Delta – N202.49 billion, Edo – N132.21 billion, Oyo – N103.25 billion and Kano – N102.26 billion.

“Ten other states in lowest category of IGR include Yobe – N16.01 billion, Ebonyi – N17.18 billion, Sokoto – N20.48 billion, Taraba – N28.16 billion ; Benue – N29.57 billion, Zamfara – N30.07 billion, Kebbi – N31.23 billion, Nasarawa – N32.57 billion, Adamawa – N33.76 billion andcBorno – N36.36 billion “.

NBS noted that the states generated their most and least revenue from taxes and other government sources. “PAYE was the dominant revenue source nationally, generating N2.64 trillion and accounting for 69.51% of total tax revenue for the year.

“Other sources included direct assessment, road taxes, stamp duties, withholding taxes and capital gains tax, which was the smallest contributor at N12.40 billion,” the Bureau stated.

News

Osun Police Arrest Suspect In Emir Ajagungbade’s Murder Probe

Published

2 hours ago

September 25, 2026

Editor

The Osun State Police Command has reportedly arrested Waliyi Adejare, popularly known as Jay Jay, at Oke Baale area of Osogbo, Osun State, as part of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Lekan Oyeyemi, popularly known as Emir Ajagungbade.

Adejare was reportedly taken into police custody on Thursday. Sources familiar with the development described him as one of the suspects being investigated in connection with the killing, which occurred amid the crisis that has continued to trail activities around motor parks in Osun State.

However, the police have cautioned against conclusively linking the suspect to the murder at this stage, stressing that investigations into both his arrest and the killing are still ongoing.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Abiodun Ojelabi, who confirmed the arrest, said it was too early to establish whether Adejare was arrested specifically in connection with the murder of Emir.

Ojelabi said the command was still conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s arrest and determine whether or not he had any connection with the killing.

According to him, the police would make their findings public after the completion of the investigation, urging members of the public to await the outcome of the ongoing process rather than relying on unverified claims concerning the suspect.

Reliable information obtained on the development indicated that Adejare, also known as Jay Jay, was apprehended in the Oke Baale area of Osogbo during an operation by the police on Thursday.

Sources also alleged that Adejare had previously served in the Nigerian Navy before reportedly leaving the service and subsequently becoming associated with individuals suspected of criminal activities in Osogbo and its environs.

The latest arrest comes against the backdrop of heightened security attention following the killing of Emir, which triggered renewed concerns over violence and rival interests surrounding motor park operations in the state.

Following the incident, the state government announced measures affecting the activities of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, while the police commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the killing and other developments arising from the crisis.