Revised National Biosafety Policy Summary

What Is This Policy?

The Revised National Biosafety Policy 2017 is Nigeria’s primary regulatory framework for the safe development, use, transfer, handling, and release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and products arising from modern biotechnology. Revised from the original policy and approved by the Federal Executive Council on 21 December 2017, it operationalises Nigeria’s obligations under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the Convention on Biological Diversity — balancing the enormous agricultural, health, and industrial potential of modern biotechnology against the need to protect human health, biodiversity, and the environment. The policy is implemented by the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), established under the NBMA Act 2015.

Who Does It Target?

Researchers and scientists at tertiary and private institutions conducting modern biotechnology research or using GMOs Importers, exporters, distributors, and producers of GMOs and GMO-derived products Federal Ministries including Environment, Agriculture, Health, Science and Technology, Industry Trade and Investment, and Customs Service Regulatory agencies including NAFDAC, National Biotechnology Development Agency, National Agricultural Seeds Council, and Standards Organisation of Nigeria Private sector organisations and public-private partnerships operating in the biotechnology industry Civil society organisations, conservation NGOs, farming communities, and the general public with a stake in biosafety decision-making

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Implement effective regulation and management of the production, release, commercialisation, importation, exportation, and trans-boundary movement of GMOs in line with international standards Prevent, minimise, and eliminate possible negative effects of GMOs on human health, animal health, biodiversity, and the environment Establish a mandatory, standardised regime for the labelling of GMOs and GMO-derived products to ensure informed consumer choice Provide an institutional framework for national biosafety decision-making, inter-agency networking, monitoring of biotechnology research and development, and international cooperation Facilitate public awareness, education, and participation in biosafety policy implementation and transparent decision-making Build and strengthen the capacity of national institutions, scientists, regulators, and other stakeholders to implement, monitor, and enforce the national biosafety framework

Key Features

Precautionary Principle: Central to all decision-making: lack of scientific certainty shall not justify postponing cost-effective measures to prevent risks to the environment or human health Advance Informed Agreement (AIA): Any trans-boundary movement of a GMO requires prior written notification to and approval from the NBMA, with a decision issued within 270 days of acknowledgement Permit System: No GMO shall be imported, released, used, or commercialised in Nigeria without an NBMA-issued permit; containment facilities must also obtain NBMA certification Risk Assessment Mandate: NBMA must conduct a scientifically sound risk assessment prior to granting any permit; the cost of assessment is borne by the applicant Socio-Economic Impact Assessment: In addition to environmental risk, the NBMA evaluates the socio-economic impact of GMO introduction on communities, industries, and existing agricultural markets Mandatory GMO Labelling: All GMOs — whether in storage, transit, research, or market — must be clearly and conspicuously labelled in English; consumer-facing labelling using international norms is mandatory Liability and Redress: A comprehensive liability regime consistent with the “polluter pays” principle applies, covering property damage, biodiversity harm, health injury, and environmental remediation costs Sovereign Rights: Nigeria asserts sovereign rights over all genetic resources within its territorial jurisdiction and requires prior informed consent and equitable benefit-sharing for their commercial exploitation

Current Status

Rollout Stage: Active — policy approved by FEC December 2017; implementing agency NBMA is operational; NBMA (Amendment) Act 2019 expanded scope to include emerging biotechnologies: gene drive, gene editing, and synthetic biology GMO Approvals: Nigeria has approved several GMO crops for confined field trials and environmental release, including Bt cowpea and drought-tolerant maize; NBMA chairs the African Biosafety Regulators Forum Inter-Agency MoUs: Formal Memoranda of Understanding between NBMA, NESREA, National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), and National Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS) ensure coordinated GMO release decisions Biosecurity Extension: A separate National Biosecurity Policy and Action Plan 2022–2026, also led by NBMA, was approved by FEC, covering biological threats from harmful pathogens under a One-Health approach Capacity Building: NBMA maintains a national biosafety information clearing-house; annual plans include GMO testing capacity, equipment acquisition, a roster of biosafety experts, and nationwide stakeholder awareness fora Biotechnology Policy Review: National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) concluded a national stakeholders’ validation meeting in 2025 to finalise a revised National Biotechnology Policy to align with the biosafety framework

How to Access

Researchers & Institutions: Apply to NBMA for biosafety permits prior to any GMO research, contained use, confined field trial, or environmental release; obtain NBMA certification for all GMO containment facilities Importers & Exporters: Submit written notification to NBMA under the Advance Informed Agreement (AIA) process before any first trans-boundary movement of a GMO; await written decision within 270 days Private Sector: Comply with internal safety procedures guidelines issued by NBMA; obtain permits before using, storing, transporting, or commercialising GMOs; ensure proper labelling of all products State & Federal MDAs: Integrate biosafety policy into existing mandates; participate in NBMA-led inter-agency coordination; include biosafety information in public education programmes and institutional curricula Public & Civil Society: Make submissions to NBMA on potential adverse effects of GMO introductions; access policy documents, FAQs, and biosafety guidelines via NBMA’s public information clearing-house Contact: National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA): nbma.gov.ng | Federal Ministry of Environment: environment.gov.ng | Email: [email protected]

Important Terms

GMO / LMO: Genetically Modified Organism (internationally termed Living Modified Organism): any organism whose genetic material has been altered through in vitro nucleic acid techniques beyond natural breeding Cartagena Protocol: International agreement under the Convention on Biological Diversity regulating the trans-boundary movement of LMOs; Nigeria ratified it in 2003 and is bound by its AIA and notification procedures Precautionary Principle: Where scientific certainty is lacking, Nigeria will not delay cost-effective protective measures against potential harm to human health or the environment Advance Informed Agreement: Mandatory procedure requiring the exporting party to notify and obtain written consent from the NBMA before the first intentional transboundary movement of any GMO into Nigeria Biosafety Clearing-House: National information repository maintained by NBMA for all GMO decisions, permits, risk assessments, and biosafety data; linked to the international Biosafety Clearing-House under the Cartagena Protocol

Impact & Metrics

Nigeria signed and ratified the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in 2000 and 2003 respectively, making the NBMA one of Africa’s most established biosafety regulatory authorities Nigeria chairs the African Biosafety Regulators Forum, signalling its leadership role in setting regional biosafety standards across the continent The 2019 amendment to the NBMA Act expanded the regulatory framework to cover gene drive, gene editing, and synthetic biology — emerging technologies with significant agricultural and health implications Key GMO crops approved under the framework include Bt cowpea (pest-resistant) and drought-tolerant maize varieties, aimed at improving food security for millions of smallholder farmers Performance indicators require that all GMO activities comply with the policy; an effective monitoring mechanism, a trained biosafety expert roster, and a proper labelling regime are established and enforced

Official Resources

Website: nbma.gov.ng | environment.gov.ng | osgf.gov.ng Policy Document: Revised National Biosafety Policy 2017 — available at nbma.gov.ng/resources Contact: National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), Abuja, Nigeria | [email protected] Summary prepared using the Policy Summary Template | Source: Revised National Biosafety Policy 2017, NBMA Act 2015 (amended 2019), Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, OSGF FEC Approved Policies Register | March 2026

Legal Framework

Issued under the authority of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NABMA) pursuant to the National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015. Implements Nigeria's obligations under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), ratified in 2003. Operates alongside the National Agricultural Seeds Council Act, the Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service Act, and the NAFDAC Act for GMO food safety assessments.