Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, a Fellow, Chemistry Society of Nigeria, FCSN, and Member Royal Society of Chemistry, MRSC, United Kingdom, was appointed as the substantive Director General/Chief Executive Officer, DG/CEO, of the National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, in November 2020. The astute professor of Bioinorganic Chemistry, renowned educationist, who is equally a member of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria, MICCON, has held several academic and administrative positions. He was a lecturer in the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, where he headed the Department of Chemistry, and held sway as the Director of Consultancy Services at different times. He had earlier equally lectured at the Kano University of Science and Technology, KUST, now known as Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, ADUST, where he was the Head of Chemistry Department, Deputy Dean, School of Post Graduate Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Science Education at separate times. Upon his assumption as NABDA DG/CEO, Prof. Mustapha vowed to do his best in ensuring the repositioning of the agency for better performance and greater efficiency. Today, after over two and half years in the saddle, he is believed to have lived up to expectations in ways he has strategically managed and administered the affairs of NABDA and aggressively championed the advocacy for biotechnological advancement in Nigeria. Prof. Mustapha has been able to, within the resources at his disposal, put in place manifold innovative measures to create an improved working condition and conducive environment for the workforce, coupled with organising capacity building trainings and workshops for staff to broaden their horizons and enhance their productivity. He works assiduously round the clock in pursuit of the realization of the agency’s mandate as contained in section 7 of NABDA Establishment Act 2022. In this interview, the eminent professor of Chemistry, under whose leadership the NABDA’s Establishment Act was eventually signed into law after years of push, feels completely delighted that the agency is making meaningful headway in the realization of the purpose for which it was set up despite the challenge of funding. The DG/CEO, while looking forward to better funding for the agency’s research activities, especially with the new President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, assured that NABDA under his watch, will continue to lead the drive to place Nigeria on the global chart of biotechnology, having succeeded in taking the lead in Africa. MICHAEL JEGEDE brings the excerpts:
By November this year, the National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, would have existed for 22 years and you would have spent three years as the DG. Would you say that NABDA has made significant headway in the actualization of its mandate?
Yes, NABDA has indeed made meaningful progress in the pursuit of the realization of its mandate after 22 years of existence. Actually, upon its establishment 22 years ago, the agency focused majorly on its promotional role in the development of biotechnology. And it has done so much in the area of promotion and awareness creation of biotechnology in Nigeria. Today, many of our universities are offering biotechnology at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, with some, up to the level of Ph.D. This is because NABDA has been able to create enough awareness and raise the level of consciousness towards the advancement of biotechnology in the country. So, NABDA’s mandate in the promotion of biotechnology has been greatly realised. As part of our mandate, the agency has been working very hard towards ensuring that Nigeria becomes self-reliant in the development and application of biotechnology-based products and services. We have made significant efforts in the area of biotechnology research, even though NABDA only started receiving grants from the Federal Government for research purpose in 2016, just about seven years ago. The enabling Act expanding NABDA’s scope of activities and according full recognition to the agency as a research institute, was signed in 2022, after the agency had existed for over 20 years. By the provisions of NABDA’s Act, we have the mandate to create awareness, coordinate, facilitate, deploy, domesticate and carry out research in all aspects of biotechnology for sustainable national development.
So, since NABDA started receiving grants, the agency has carried out series of research works in different areas of biotechnology. We have made some remarkable research breakthroughs directly and through collaborative efforts to enhance food productivity with a view to deepening Nigeria’s biotechnology experience. Based on our mandate, we have been at the vanguard of biotechnology deployment and domestication in the country in areas of agriculture, environment, health and industry – four critical sectors of Nigeria’s economy. We are also in partnership with different organisations and institutions within and outside the country.
We have a good number of success stories in the drive towards advancing the application of modern biotechnology in the country. Look at the cowpea today, the commercialization, adoption and use of the Pod Borer Resistant, PBR, cowpea came as a veritable solution to the challenges confronting our farmers in cowpea production. Our cowpea farmers now have better yields, quick harvest and bumper harvest. Indeed, the PBR cowpea came with a lot of economic benefits; such that the farmers are happy because they have been able to overcome most of the problems they had, using the old conventional variety. They are now making higher profits because of better yields and reduced cost on pesticides resulting from the use of the PBR cowpea, one of the products of biotechnology research in the country. The farmers are impressed and they are testifying to how the PBR cowpea has positively affected their farming business in the area of cowpea production. The release of the PBR cowpea and its eventual commercialization was a major breakthrough for the country in our efforts towards making Nigeria one of the countries to reckon with in the advancement of biotechnology.
Then, you talk of the Bt cotton. It has equally gone a long way to help in addressing the issue of low yields, high cost of production and insect attacks on cotton farms. The Bt cotton has significantly reduced the use of pesticides for farmers involved in its application. There has been increased productivity and high yields in cotton farming since the Bt variety of cotton was released. Certainly, the Bt cotton has brought hope for the revival of the moribund textile industry in Nigeria; which is why it must be fully embraced by the cotton farmers. It will also increase profits for cotton farmers because of high yields resulting from quality seeds. These are milestones in the country’s biotechnology drive that should be supported by all and sundry. We also have the Tela maize, a genetically modified variety of maize that is drought tolerant and resistant to insect pests like fall armyworms and stem borers. Much progress has been made on the Tela maize project. Its commercialization will greatly benefit farmers in the country, address food security and boost the economy. The Tela maize will also bring about great improvement in yields and income of farmers.
There is the herbicide tolerant, HT, soya bean that we are equally working on and a number of other crops that are undergoing research for the purpose of improving their yields and ensuring food security and sufficiency. We have equally recorded success in the genetic improvement of livestock to boost the production of milk and meat in the country. We are working hard in this direction to use biotechnology to produce an improved variety of livestock to enhance milk and meat production. We are recording success in the genetic transformation of livestock. We successfully inseminated some last year and more will be inseminated this year. Lack of adequate resources has been a challenge to this project. With enough resources, we will be able to do more. Nevertheless, we have made some progress.
NABDA has also invented different Biodigesters from locally sourced materials to foster energy generation, aid national growth and accelerate the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigerians.
These biodigesters convert biodegradable organic feedstock to biogas used for
energy production. This is another product of our ground-breaking research efforts which will greatly assist in power generation in our homes, offices and villages. With the inadequate power supply experienced in the country, the locally produced, pantented biodigesters will serve as an alternative source of energy for Nigerians, especially those in the rural communities. In fact, we are in collaboration with the Rural Electricity Agency, REA, on this to provide sustainable electricity to rural communities. We have since signed an MoU with REA after they saw what we were doing with the innovative technology of converting bio-waste into electricity.
Also, we are partnering with different pharmaceutical outfits and organisations to develop vaccines in the country for the treatment of some common diseases. We are not oblivious of the fact that developing vaccines for basic healthcare is very critical to our health system, particularly for the purpose of disease prevention and treatment. So, we have entered into a number of partnerships for the development of vaccines to tackle certain diseases in the country.
With all these research efforts and the innovations that we are making in all the areas of biotechnology, which are significantly impacting on the country’s national growth, I can tell you that we have made significant progress in the actualization of the agency’s mandate and we will not relent in our push for sustainable development in biotechnology.
What about in the area of training and capacity building for staff of the agency?
On the issue of staff training and capacity building, we are doing the best we can within the resources at our disposal. We have organized various training workshops and capacity building programmes for staff to enhance their productivity as well as
broaden their knowledge. As a research agency, we attach great importance to training and capacity building for staff. Besides the training workshops, we have sent staff on studies up to PhD level. This year alone, we have sent not fewer than 15 people for PhD studies and not less than 30 for Masters’ studies.
What would you say are the major challenges of the agency?
Of course, the major challenge of the agency is funding. Research is capital intensive. One requires a lot of funds in carrying out biotechnology research. In any case, we are not allowing that to deter us in our determination to continue to spearhead and remain the driving force of biotechnology development in Nigeria.
What role does biotechnology have to play in Nigeria’s quest for industrialization?
Biotechnology has a very significant role to play in our country’s quest for industrial growth. It is key to Nigeria’s industrialization. It has potential to accelerate Nigeria’s industrial growth. We only need to put in sufficient resources to explore and harness those potentials. Our desire to become an industrialized nation can be easily achieved with proper investment in biotechnology.
Where is the place of Nigeria in Africa as far as biotechnology is concerned? As in, what position does Nigeria occupy in Africa in terms of biotechnology development?
Nigeria occupies the number one position in Africa with regards to biotechnology. When you talk about biotechnology, we are number one in Africa.
Is this a statement of fact or mere assumption?
It is an indisputable fact. Nigeria has taken the lead in the development of modern biotechnology in Africa. We have assumed the leadership role. We are more like the role model in Africa’s drive for the development of biotechnology. Many African countries come here to understudy what we are doing and learn from us. They go back to their countries to build on what they are doing from what they have gathered here. So, we are comfortably in the lead as far biotechnology in Africa is concerned. What we are doing now is to consolidate Nigeria’s leadership in Africa’s biotechnological advancement, so as to launch the country into the global scene. We are working very hard to properly position Nigeria on the world map of biotechnology. We want to see how we can begin to play big internationally in the biotechnology industry. In fact, the African Union, AU, has acknowledged Nigeria’s leading role in the sustenance of biotechnology in Africa.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in on May 29, 2023, taking over from former President Muhammadu Buhari. How would you describe the coming of Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos State as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
Well, government is a continuum. Former President Buhari has played his part and left the stage for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to continue from where he stopped. I think that the emergence of President Tinubu is one good thing that has happened to Nigeria at this point in time. You can see that he came in with a huge wealth of experience in governance and administration, which has come to bear, even within the very short time he has spent in office as President. You will recall that he did excellently well as governor of Lagos State. He tremendously transformed Lagos in his time as the governor and laid a very solid foundation for those that succeeded him to build on. He did a lot to advance the economy of Lagos State through several innovative measures that lifted the state to greater heights. Today, even as he has only been in office for a short period, we are already seeing the signal that he would certainly replicate what he did in Lagos as governor, at the federal level as President. As we speak, he is already being widely commended for the important decisions, actions and steps he has taken so far towards making reforms to position the country for development.
So you are confident that Nigeria will be better under Tinubu’s watch?
Sure. There is no doubt about that. Nigeria will see meaningful progress and positive changes with President Tinubu in the helms of affairs of the country. Like I said earlier, he demonstrated pragmatic leadership and turned around the fortunes of Lagos State as governor. And we can all see he has started well as President by hitting the ground running. I’m confident that Nigeria will be better under his watch. Therefore, we all need to support him to make the country great.
What is your expectation of President Tinubu concerning the issue of biotechnology in the country?
Well, biotechnology clearly falls under Science, Technology and Innovation And President Tinubu certainly believes in the development of Science Technology and Innovation. It is therefore expected that he would give utmost attention to this, in his drive to rebuild Nigeria and make it a better place for all. In giving attention to Science, Technology and Innovation, I believe that the President will not leave out Biotechnology.
