Nairobi: Professor Olalekan Akinbo, head of the Genome Editing Programme at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), has warned that outdated data and weak regulatory policies could undermine the continent's agricultural development. He emphasized the necessity for continuous assessment of Genome Editing (GeD) initiatives across Africa to keep pace with the rapidly evolving nature of biotechnology and policy reforms.
According to Ghana News Agency, Prof. Akinbo made these remarks during a validation meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting focused on a new study conducted by Africa Harvest Biotech Foundation International and AGTECH Consulting Ltd. The study, which maps existing gene and genome editing work across 16 African countries, highlights gaps that could slow progress if left unaddressed. Prof. Akinbo reaffirmed AUDA-NEPAD's commitment to supporting African countries in developing and implementing genome editing guidelines to advance research, innovation, and commercialization in agriculture.
Dr. Martin Mwirigi, Director of the Biotechnology Research Institute of the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), noted that biotechnology, particularly genome editing, offered Africa faster and more precise tools to respond to emerging agricultural threats. He discussed the challenges farmers face, such as longer dry seasons, new insect pests, and previously unknown fungal and viral diseases, and stressed the importance of scientific innovation.
Dr. Florence Wambugu, Chief Executive Officer of Africa Harvest and a lead consultant for the study, shared that the research identified 57 completed and ongoing genome-editing projects aimed at tackling climate stress, pests, diseases, and low yields. Most projects are at the proof-of-concept and early product development stages, targeting some of Africa's most persistent agricultural constraints.