The Federal Government in its bid to protect the environment, human health, and socio-economic development has approved a new National Biosecurity Policy for Nigeria. The Minister of State for the Environment, Chief Sharon Ikeazor announced this in a statement in Abuja, saying “The Federal Executive Council has approved the National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan 2022 – 2026 to ensure, among other things, biosecurity for the protection of the environment and human health from harmful biological agents and to protect our socio-economic development.
“The policy document aims to foster an integrated and holistic biosecurity strategy that will be implemented through one-health approach for the prevention, early detection, rapid response to bio-threats and recovery from biosecurity incidents.”
The minister added that “This policy is to ensure synergy and harmonisation among biosecurity stakeholders for effective and efficient operations of the national biosecurity systems.
“It is to ensure that all aspects of national and international agreement, conventions, guidelines and other instruments on biosecurity are duly taking into consideration.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2019 assented to an amendment of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act, 2015, mandating the NBMA to ensure biosecurity in the country.
The agency developed a national document and action plan to address all biosecurity issues in Nigeria, with the Ministry of Environment disclosing that the National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan was developed following effective synergy among stakeholders.
“After going through several reviews, stakeholders validated the draft National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan in September 2021, before it was presented to the Federal Executive Council for approval,” Ikeazor stated.
She added, “We are very pleased with this approval in the environment sector, which gives the country a proper, comprehensive and workable document to tackle biosecurity issues and ensure that bio-threats are properly contained and even eliminated.”