The Portuguese ministry of science has declared its support for biotechnology in Nigeria.
The Portuguese ministry of science has declared its support for biotechnology in Nigeria.
The country, through its Minister for Science and Technology, Prof. Manuel Heitor, pledged their support for biotechnology activities in Nigeria, stating that it will enhance tropical agriculture and food security.
The country, through its Minister for Science and Technology, Prof. Manuel Heitor, pledged their support for biotechnology activities in Nigeria, stating that it will enhance tropical agriculture and food security.
Heitor made this known in a statement to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) by the Head, Protocol and Communications, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Mrs Ifeoma Ndefo on Monday in Abuja.
The minister visited the Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Prof. Lucy Ogbadu, with a team of experts in different fields of biotechnology from various institutions in Portugal.
In his address, Heitor indicated the interest of the Portuguese delegation in partnering with the NABDA in efforts to expand technologies that would enhance tropical agriculture and food security.
The minister, who is also the minister of Education, declared the interest of his country in assisting NABDA scientific officers wishing to acquire Masters and P.HD degrees in Portugal.
He identified areas of NABDA’s activities akin to their fields of competences such as cancer prevention, stem cell research, Biogas production and bio-remediation.
According to Heitor, all of these were areas of interest for collaboration as well as knowledge sharing between their institutions and NABDA.
On her part, Director-General, NABDA, commended the minister and his team for their interest in partnering with the Agency to ensure that Nigeria reaps the potential benefit that biotechnology offers. She further highlighted the various projects and activities of the five technical departments of the Agency.
According to her, these included the six Centres of Excellence located at frontline universities of the each of the Six Geo-political Zones of the nation (Uni-Jos, ABU Zaria, Uni- Port, UNN, Uni-Ibadan and Uni- Maiduguri).
Others are the NABDA’s Bio-resources Centres (BioDecs) spread across twenty-five states of the federation.
By
Chinelo Okafor
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