Environment

Africa is proud of Nigeria’s Bio-safety Agency- AU Agency

Published

6 years ago

June 13, 2019

Agency Report

The African Union Development Agency, formerly New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), said it is proud of the milestone achieved by National Bio-safety Management Agency (NBMA).

Mr Samuel Timpo, the Principal Programme Officer for African Bio-safety Network of Expertise (ABNE) of (AUDA-NEPAD), said this at a 3-day Training on Bio-safety Communication organized by the NBMA in collaboration with AUDA–NEPAD.

The training is for communication officers of line Ministries, Departments, Agencies and journalists, who are stakeholders in bio-safety issues.

“As a NEPAD agency, we are proud of the milestones Nigeria has achieved, indeed, in the international community, when you want Africa to speak up, Nigeria has been one of our backbones in delivering messages.

“We rely heavily on Nigeria as a backbone to lead bio-safety matters and chart the course as seen during the last COP-MOP, which was held in Egypt.

“So, we are also excited today about how to interact with sister agencies, so that we can address the issues of regulation.

He said that NEPAD had worked with the agency for almost a decade in the area of capacity building.

“We had journey with NBMA, It’s been almost a decade of building regulatory capacity and we hope to continue relying on Nigeria for leadership and clarity of what we want to achieve as a continent.

“This training workshop has two unique features, one is that we hope that each one of us will see him or herself as a trainer, so that beyond here you spread the message,

“The other part of it is a word borrowed from the bible “Iron sharpneth Iron” we are here to learn from our various experiences and come out better equipped to deal with the challenges of communicating bio-safety’’.

Timpo, however, assured the agency of NEPAD’s continuous partnership, which he hoped would become stronger and stronger.

Dr Rufus Ebegba, the Director-General of NBMA, while declaring open the training said that communication was key in bio-safety management.

“In bio-safety management, issues of communication are very important because when you talk about bio-safety, you are looking at it from the point of risk assessment, risk management and risk complications.

“ Communication is very much key because the information you give out to members of the public and stakeholders will determine the information they will go away with and this will also determine their perception of what to do.

“The issue of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and their regulations have always been very contentious and communication is key to enable the public understand the system, and also douse their fears, especially the ones that are unfounded’’.

Ebegba said that the NEPA came to assist the agency to ensure that Nigeria’s bio-safety system was ready in the area of communication.

“Information should not just be for media houses to sell or make news available, some of these amount to serious misinformation.

“We have in our midst today communicators from various ministries and agencies and it is important that you know how to address members of the public.

“And also to know how to address those who have questions to ask and those who do not really believe in the technology.

The DG assured that the agency would ensure that Nigeria and its environment was safe from any possible effect of the modern technology.

“I want to also assure you that the agency will not shy away from its responsibility to tell the members of the public when we are convinced that the technology is safe, particularly after due diligence on the areas of risk assessment and risk management.

NAN

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Environment

Royal Commonwealth Society Kicks Off Clean Oceans Campaign in Nigeria

Published

3 months ago

July 8, 2025

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS), in collaboration with the National Sports Commission (NSC) and Commonwealth Games Nigeria, has officially launched the Clean Oceans Plastic Awareness Campaign in Nigeria, aiming to combat the growing threat of plastic pollution across the Commonwealth.

The campaign was flagged off on Wednesday at Jabi Lake, Abuja, with a strong message of environmental responsibility, especially for Nigeria’s youth.

The initiative is designed to raise awareness about plastic pollution, encourage proper waste disposal, and promote environmental stewardship—particularly around the country’s waterways.
Speaking at the launch, the Country Director and CEO of the Royal Commonwealth Society Nigeria, Mr. Blackson Olaseni Bayewumi, emphasized that the campaign is part of a global Commonwealth-wide effort to curb plastic waste and protect ocean ecosystems.

He highlighted the critical role of sports as a tool for engaging young people and driving meaningful change in environmental behavior.

“The Commonwealth accounts for one-third of the world’s ocean waters, and nearly half of its member countries are Small Island Developing States that suffer disproportionately from plastic pollution,” Bayewumi noted.

According to him, the Royal Commonwealth Society’s Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign aims to prevent at least one million pieces of plastic from entering Commonwealth waterways.

The campaign blends grassroots education with direct community action, urging people to reduce their plastic footprint, embrace alternatives, and promote cleaner oceans.

A major component of the campaign is its integration with the King’s Baton Relay—a hallmark of the build-up to the Commonwealth Games. In a groundbreaking move, the 2025-2026 relay will spotlight sustainability and environmental protection, beginning with its launch by His Majesty The King at Buckingham Palace on Commonwealth Day 2025. The Baton Relay is now on a 500-day journey across all Commonwealth nations and territories ahead of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

In each country, including Nigeria, the Baton Relay will bring together youth, athletes, local communities, and environmental groups for a week of activities—most notably, organized plastic clean-up drives.

The urgency of this campaign is underlined by alarming statistics: the world produces 400 million tonnes of plastic every year, with over 12 million tonnes ending up in the oceans.
Without urgent action, scientists predict that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish in the sea.

Plastic waste poses a deadly threat to marine life—suffocating birds, fish, and mammals while damaging key ecosystems.

Moreover, as plastics break down into microplastics due to ocean erosion and sunlight, they enter our food, water, and even air.

Although the full health implications of microplastics remain unknown, early research suggests they may disrupt vital bodily functions—and there is currently no method to fully remove them from the environment or our bodies.
The campaign supports multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:

SDG 12: Responsible, Consumption and ProductionSDG 13: Climate Action, SDG 14: Life Below Water

It also reflects the core principles of the Commonwealth Charter, especially: Article 9: Sustainable Development. Article 10: Protection of the Environment and Article 14: Recognition of the Needs of Small States

As the world grapples with escalating environmental challenges, the Clean Oceans Plastics Campaign represents a significant step in uniting nations, communities, and young leaders under a shared mission: to protect our oceans, preserve biodiversity, and build a cleaner, safer world for future generations.

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