The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurun (FUPRE) in Delta State to kick-start biosafety courses.
Director General (DG) of NBMA, Dr Rufus Ebegba, said that the MoU would give opportunities to those who wanted to acquire knowledge in the area of biosafety.
The MoU was signed in Abuja on Thursday, August 18, 2022.
“The MoU is to give opportunities to those who want to increase their proficiency, skills and knowledge in biosafety,” Ebegba said.
He said that the MoU was signed to build a strong knowledged based capacity building centre for biosecurity and biosafety system in Nigeria which might likely be a first in its kind.
“The Nigerian system has been able to put in place strong biosafety system which is attested to by being the head of the African Union Regulator Biosafety Forum in Africa.
“We must be at the top of biosafety in Africa. As Nigeria, I can tell you that we have put in place a strong system that must be sustained through capacity strengthening and building,” Ebegba said.
He urged those offering Genetic Engineering in universities, research institutes and researchers that would be dealing with matters related to GMOs to liase with the university.
Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, the Vice- Chancellor of FUPRE, expressed satisfaction over the signing of the MoU, saying that it is a big boost to the university.
Rim-Rukeh said that by the time the university fully implemented the MoU, Nigerians would come to the university for knowledge and to make them better equipped in biosafety and biosecurity.
He said that the signing of the MoU was in line with his vision to build young Nigerians and graduates that are technocrats.
“We have to train graduates in the oil and gas related industry such that as they leave the university they can be ready for the market,” the Vice Chancellor said.
By Abigael Joshua
