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Federal Government says biotechnology an emerging science holds the solution to the menace of food insecurity, incessant insect attacks and climate change.
The Director General of the National Biotechnology Research and Development agency Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha disclosed this at a one day Agricultural biotechnology youth vanguard workshop for farmers and students in Owerri the Imo State capital.
Evidence of climate change on agriculture in Nigeria has since been established and increased atmospheric warmness, irregular rainfall, emergent pests, crop diseases and their resultant adverse effect on agricultural productivity are glaring.
The federal government wants Nigerian farmers especially youth population to embrace biotechnology as a measure to tackle food shortage and disease control.
This is the reason for this workshop which has its theme “Cultivating tomorrow’s Agricultural Innovators: Inaugural workshop for the Agricultural biotechnology youth vanguard” where the Director General of National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency emphasized the need to encourage more youth to be part of the greater biotechnology scientists in the country.
In his goodwill message, Governor of Imo State Hope Uzodinma who was represented at the occasion by the Director General of the State investment promotion agency Prof. Jude Ezeako noted that the establishment of Biotechnology youth vanguard underscores the value chain of biotechnology in fostering innovation and driving progress in the sector.
The Director, Agricultural biotechnology department of the Agency, Rose Gidado while speaking on the topic “Agricultural biotechnology journey in Nigeria noted that biotechnology has advanced and made agriculture a business over the years.