NBMA, NatureNews, ClimateAfrica initiate collaborative plans to save environment

By Omotayo Edubi

The National Biosaftey Management Agency (NBMA) and management of NatureNews online newspaper and ClimateAfrica magazine have initiated plans to collaborate in restoring Nigeria’s environment.

This was made known on Friday when delegates from NatureNews online and ClimateAfrica magazine paid a courtesy visit to NBMA headquarters in Abuja.

The objective of the meeting was to pursue more collaboration with agencies under the Ministry of Environment to create more awareness about the environment to its inhabitants.

The Head, Planning Research and Statistics and the special assistant to the DG, NBMA, Mrs. Bello Scholastica, while welcoming the delegates from NatureNews and ClimateAfrica, noted that the environment is everything.

Informing that the National Biosafety Management Agency’s mandate is to ensure the safety of the application of modern biotechnology, particularly in the era of Genetically Modified Organism, (GMO), she said, “Without environment, no human being, no matter how intelligent or beautiful, will be important. When the environment is polluted, everyone is affected.

“It is based on that, the issue of biodiversity became a very key factor for the global space to really look at.

“When we talk about GMO, we are talking about plants and crops whose genes have been tinkered with.

“It goes beyond what can naturally happen but it is done through genetic engineering and may have some impact to the environment, so NBMA is set up so that these types of impacts are either minimized or do not happen at all.

She commended the Publisher and the entire team on their efforts to save the environment.

“I think the space you have decided to work on, is a very welcome development and is highly recognized, and we want to work with you to see how far we can go and how much you can effect a change,” she added.

Also speaking, the Principal Scientific Officer and Head of Biosafety Intelligence Mr. Adamu lauded the efforts, contributions and sacrifice the medium has put in place for a better environment and assures joint partnership to enlighten and educate Nigerians and the world about environmental issues and sustaining a habitable environment.

Reacting, the Editor-In-Chief/Publisher of NatureNews online and ClimateAfrica Magazine, Mr Aliu Akoshile said that NatureNews is a foremost online news publication that covers everything about the environment and climate change.

“We started this about a year ago, based on the realization that the media space is not doing justice to a particular segment of the humanity. Everyday you see news reports on politics, sports, entertainment and we rarely see the kind of focus that we should have on the environment,” he said.

Akoshile stressed that the platforms, NatureNews and ClimateAfrica were birthed because the environment is a common denominator for everyone as it binds everyone together.

He also said the medium is ready to partner with agencies that play crucial roles in developing the environment and supporting them by bringing exposure of environmental issues and finding a long lasting and sustainable solution through the media.

The Managing Director of NatureNews/ClimateAfrica, Rasheed Yusuf, also noted some challenges involved in the course of creating environmental awareness.

He added that, “the ClimateAfrica magazine is being published monthly, and it will be in our interest to be fully abreast with NBMA activities for informed reportage and coverage in our next publication.”

He also said the magazine is not limited to Nigeria’s environmental challenges but it cuts through Africa and the world at large because it takes every effort and contribution of everyone in the world to have a sustainable environment.