By: Odieh Ramon, Odi.

The Director General and Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of National Biotechnology Research And Development Agency (NBRDA) Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha recently said, the Agency has partnered with national and international organizations for successful commercialization of Bt. Cotton, Pod Borer Resistant (PBR) Cowpea, and insect-resistant.

Others he said include, drought-tolerant TELA Maize, all aimed at improving crop yields and reducing pesticide use. Saying NBRDA is also collaborating with pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria and United States-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms to domesticate biopharmaceutical technologies in Nigeria, particularly for the local production of HIV antiretroviral medicines and other essential drugs.

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha stated this during the opening ceremony and official declaration of Bioresources Development Conference 2026 (BDC26) at the Conference Hall of Bioresources Development Center, Odi in Bayelsa state.

According to him, in healthcare biotechnology, the agency developed COVID-19 diagnostic kits and supported research into repurposed drugs for Lassa fever, addressing critical health challenges. “NBRDA has also intensified pharmaceutical biotechnology research focused on the local production of essential drugs and vaccines”.

“This collaboration seeks to address the healthcare challenges arising from the withdrawal of international support for HIV treatment, while reducing Nigeria dependence on imported medicines. This initiative will strengthen technology transfer, build indigenous pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity, upgrade laboratory infrastructure, and create employment opportunities, ensuring that critical medicines are produced locally and sustainably.

“The agency’s network of Bioresources Development Center (BDC) remains a critical implementation platform for translating research into applied, community-driven impact. The agency remains fully committed to advancing innovation, sustainability and socio-economic development through cutting edge biotechnology solutions”.

He said the theme of the conference, “Sustainable Biotechnology: Harnessing Bioresources for Innovation, Food Security, and National Development” is apt and timely and aligns with the development agenda of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu and calls for a transition from fragmented initiatives to integrated systems, from isolated research efforts to scalable innovations and from untapped potential to national impact.

In his welcome address, the Center Coordinator and LOC Chairman Bioresources Development Center (BIODEC) Odi Dr. Timipanipiri ThankGod Wood said, over the years despite funding limitations, BIODEC Odi has made a remarkable contributions, Saying they have collected over 202 plant Bioresources and 77 animal Bioresources.

According to Dr. Wood, the center has successfully domesticated more than 13 bioenterprises, including: mushroom production,Grasscuttter farming, Rabbitry, Albino rat, snake breeding, Black Soldier fly larva, poultry,snailery, aquaculture, micropropagation Bioprocessing.

Others he said include, outdoor crop production (Tela Maize By Cowpea, pepper, pumpkin, cucumber, watermelon, groundnut, sugarcane, okra, cocoyam, sweet potato, rice, cassava, plantain, banana, pineapple, cocoa plantation, bush mango).

“The center has trained thousands of youths, women and vulnerable groups across Niger Delta. It has contributed to reducing youth restiveness through empowerment programs, established ourselves as a research support hub for universities and institutions.

“BDC 2026 is designed as a strategic intervention platform to bring together stakeholders from across sectors because we recognize that no single institution can solve these challenges alone. It is a call to action, we cannot afford to let this national assets decline. We called the federal government for targeted intervention funding, the Bayelsa state government for strategic partnership and Integration into state development plans, the NDDC to align this initiative with the Niger Delta Master plan. Private sector investors to explore bio-based industries.

“Development partner and international donors to support innovation and capacity building. BIODEC Odi already has existing collaborations with universities and institutions. What we need now is to scale up, modernization, and fully operationalized systems.

“The Niger Delta is not poor, it is rich beyond measure, rich in biodiversity, rich in fertile soil, rich in aquatic ecosystems, rich in microbial and fungal resources that science is only beginning to understand. What we lack is not resources but system, structure, and strategic investment.

Giving the summary of lecture, the keynote speaker Prof. Dimie Ogoina who is also the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) Yenagoa, Bayelsa state said, he advanced the importance of Biotechnology in advancing medical for health and national security in Nigeria.

Prof. Dimie Ogoina also talked about technology been a tool that is relevant to address all the gaps which we have observed in our health security which of course is equivalent to national security. “I talked about six pillars of Biotechnology that can be explore to advance medical innovation. Essentially, what I emphasize is the need for investments in funding Biotechnology infrastructure, to spend in human capacity development across Nigeria because we still have the dept of expertise in the field of Biotechnology.

“Investment in equipment, we have the challenge of the state of the art equipment in many of our biotechnology related institutions and is about now we enact biosafety legislation, because currently, Nigeria does not have biosafety legislation and that is a significant barrier of applications to the advancement of Biotechnology in medical innovation.

“My call to action is for government, to academics, to institutions, is that we need to invest more, collaborate more and we need to build more capacity”.

In his goodwill message, the deputy governor of Bayelsa state, Dr. Peter Akpe who was represented by the commissioner for Agriculture and National Resources Prof. Beke Sese, reiterated Bayelsa state government preparedness to partner the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) to harness agricultural and other natural resources to promote economic development of the state.

He described the state as one of the best destinations for profitable investments in the country and the entire West African subregion because of its strategic location and natural endowments.

He equally noted that apart from crude oil and gas resources, the state possesses a lot of bioresources that could be developed to provide sustainable livelihoods and prosperity for the people.

A former Speaker Bayelsa state House of Assembly, Rt Hon Tonye Isenah, who is currently manager, Bayelsa State Housing and property development Authority, who also hails from Odi in Kolokuma Opokuma Local government area, decried what he described as Bayelsa state non utilization of the centre despite it’s numerous importance, even the host communities also do not appreciate the benefits of the centre domiciled in their community.

He charged the current Director of the centre, who is the first Indigene to head the centre to change the narratives by soliciting partnership with the state government through the state ministry of Agriculture and natural resources.