The National Biosafety Management Agency, NBMA, has organized a capacity building workshop for journalists as part of efforts to promote scientific literacy.
The Director General, NBMA, Dr Agnes Asagbra, made this known during a one day workshop to enhance journalist capacity in reporting biosafety issues.
The workshop is in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
She emphasized that the training also aims to foster a network of informed journalists who can contribute to national dialogues on biosafety and biotechnology.
Dr Asagbra added that the agency will continue to prioritize biosafety, adapt to emerging challenges and seize new opportunities in the biotechnology field.
She said, “biosafety is not well known hence the need to educate the public, because it is very easy to pass the wrong message.”
Dr Asagbra stressed the importance of educating the public on the benefits of modern biotechnology, including the potential to enhance crop resilience to pests, drought, and salinity, thus contributing to food security.
According to her the workshop becomes imperative following the misinformation surrounding GMOs, noting that myths and misconceptions have clouded public understanding.
The US Agricultural Counselor, Mr Christopher Bielecki, stated the US. Diplomatic Mission in Nigeria is proud to partner with the NBMA, to organize these series of training with the aim of supporting the country in advancing its agricultural biotechnology and biosafety regulations.
Mr Bielecki said advancing these agricultural biotechnology and biosafety regulations in Nigeria would help play a critical role in boosting food safety, rural livelihoods, and adaptation to climate change.
He said supporting the workshop is a USDA little way of upholding a standard of excellence for communication experts and opinion influencers.
Responding, The Program office, OFAB Nigeria, Mr Abraham Isah, urged journalists to believe in the work of scientists and said that “science is all about data and research.
“Evolving technologies such as this, you can’t do without misconceptions because of personal interest and scientists who have done such research will be in a better place because of their research findings.”
The workshop was aimed at providing in-depth knowledge of NBMA’s role and activities in regulating agricultural modern biotech, enhancing the media’s capacity to communicate complex Biosafety topics to the public, accurately, while promoting scientific literacy and dispelling non-science-based narratives about agricultural biotechnology.