Dakuku Peterside, a turnaround expert and former director-general, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), has advised biosafety professionals to be vigilant and work to prevent possible resort to the use of biological agents by terrorists in the country. Dakuku stated this in Abuja, when he chaired the annual conference of the Nigerian Biological Safety Association (NIBSA).
He appreciated NIBSA’s effort in the area of capacity building for biosafety and biosecurity in medical science and laboratory practice, particularly in response to emerging diseases.
However, Dakuku advised the association to expand its horizon, saying biotechnology has applications in agriculture, veterinary medicine, industries, warfare, and the environment.
He warned about the threat of the next pandemic, saying it is an added reason to build capacity as practitioners.
The former NIMASA director-general commended Nigeria for being among the few African countries with a regulatory framework for managing biosafety and biosecurity, in addition to being party to a number of international conventions.
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He charged practitioners to collaborate with regulatory agencies and society at large to ensure the safe use of biotechnology applications, as biosafety, by its nature, requires teamwork.
Dakuku stated, “We, as practitioners, owe ourselves, stakeholders and society as a whole the duty of preventing and mitigating hazards associated with our work in handling biological materials.
“This responsibility extends to enlightening and educating citizens on possible risks associated with biotechnology and handling of biological materials.”
He also advocated the deepening of biosafety measures in drug manufacturing, agriculture, and industrialisation.
The conference attendees included; Oliver Manijart of Prolab, working with the World Health Organisation, who joined online; Daniel Nanbol of Plateau State House of Assembly; a representative of Adetifa Ifedayo of Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, Ahmad Waleed Joyan; representatives of Federal Ministry of Health, Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria, Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria, and representative of Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
