The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has approved a revised National Biotechnology Policy and a strategic plan aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s biotechnology and bioenergy sectors.
The Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Dr Kingsley Udeh, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents after the FEC meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, describing the approvals as significant developments for Nigeria’s science, technology and innovation ecosystem and noting that the existing National Biotechnology Policy was approved by the council in 2001.
He said the policy had supported developments in areas such as biomanufacturing, gene editing and other biotechnology applications in healthcare, agriculture and manufacturing.
However, the minister said changes in the biotechnology sector over the years had made it necessary to review the existing policy to reflect current realities and Nigeria’s ambition to become a global leader in biotechnology.
According to him, stakeholders subsequently reviewed and validated the policy, leading to FEC’s approval of the 2026 Revised National Biotechnology Policy.
Udeh said the revised policy would provide a strategic framework for research, development, commercialization and application of biotechnology across key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
He identified priority areas under the new policy to include climate-smart technologies, precision agriculture, advanced manufacturing, gene editing and genomics for medical applications.
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The minister also disclosed that FEC approved the Nigeria Biotechnology Partnership and an accompanying National Biotech Bioenergy Strategic Plan to strengthen the country’s participation in global biotechnology initiatives.
He said the partnership would formalize Nigeria’s membership and participation in the Global Biotechnology Partnership, thereby creating opportunities for international collaboration and investment.
According to Udeh, Nigeria has abundant biomass and bioresources that can be converted into energy, and the new framework is designed to maximize these resources.
He explained that the Energy Commission of Nigeria, an agency under his ministry, would serve as the lead implementing agency for the bioenergy strategic plan.
The initiative, he said, would operate through an inter-ministerial platform designed to coordinate government programmes and initiatives relating to bioenergy.
Udeh said the overall objective was to use bioenergy to improve energy access and strengthen energy sufficiency in Nigeria.
“With this structure, there will be a coordination of all these efforts and initiatives, and the target is to utilize bioenergy to improve energy access and energy sufficiency in Nigeria,” he said.
The minister said the initiative was in line with the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to address energy insufficiency while expanding opportunities for alternative energy sources.
He added that the new framework would also strengthen Nigeria’s capacity to attract international partnerships, technology and investments into the biotechnology and bioenergy sectors.
Udeh further disclosed that the Federal Executive Council celebrated the peaceful conduct of the Osun State governorship election held on Saturday, describing the development as a positive boost to Nigeria’s democratic process.
NAN
