By Abdallah el-Kurebe
The Director General (DG) of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Dr. Rufus Ebegba has issued a 7-day ultimatum to importers of Genetically Modified Seeds (GM Seeds) to formalize their dealings or risk being shut down.
He gave the ultimatum at a media briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
Ebegba who disclosed that there was currently an influx of illegal GM products in the country, urged dealers to obtain the necessary Biosafety permit from the Agency before making such importation, adding that the permit allowed the Agency to carry out risk assessments on the GM Seeds.
“The agency will not hesitate to prosecute those trading in GMOs and their by-products illegally. It was established to ensure that GM products are safe for Nigerians as no product will be allowed into the country without the necessary safety analyses and risk assessments.
He recalled that there had been a meeting where potential importers were familiarized with the procedure to trade GMOs and their by-products.
Ebegba also stated that GM products in confined field trials would not be released to the market until they were confirmed safe to both human health and the environment.
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