The Minna Declaration 2026

Science and technology are powerful drivers of change and instruments for empowering individuals, communities and nations. Biotechnology is a major tool for national transformation, sustainable wealth creation, food security, healthcare improvement, environmental protection, industrial development and employment generation.

Biotechnology must move from the periphery of development planning to become a strategic component of Nigeria's economic diversification, industrialization and national competitiveness.

Nigeria and Africa continue to depend substantially on biotechnology products, technologies, equipment and innovations developed elsewhere. Nigeria must build the scientific, technological, financial and industrial capabilities required to become a developer, owner, manufacturer and exporter.

Nigerian scientists and institutions should participate across the complete value chain—from discovery and research to intellectual-property ownership, product development, manufacturing and commercialization.

Biotechnology research should increasingly be problem-driven, demand-driven and impact-oriented. It should be inspired by problems demonstrated to exist in society, not merely problems researchers assume exist.

Scientists should engage farmers, communities, industries, healthcare providers, businesses, policymakers, regulators and potential users when identifying problems and defining priorities.

Scientific discovery is only the beginning. Nigeria should move from the conventional pathway of research interest, grant, laboratory research and publication towards a development-oriented pathway.

Publications remain important, but should not always be the final destination of research with clear translational potential.

The convergence of artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, genomics, bioinformatics and biomanufacturing is an important frontier for scientific and industrial development.

Real problem → Data → AI-enabled prediction → Biological design → Validation → Responsible governance → Scale-up → Biomanufacturing → Products → Markets → Jobs → Sustainable wealth

Industrial biotechnology can use renewable feedstocks and biological processes to manufacture fuels, chemicals, biodegradable materials and other bio-based products, reducing fossil-resource dependence and greenhouse-gas emissions.

Nigeria should adopt circular-economy models that transform biological resources and agricultural residues into useful products. Biodiversity, genetic resources, indigenous knowledge, expertise and human capital are strategic national assets for food production, enterprise, employment and prosperity.

Plant biotechnology can improve crop productivity, nutrition and resilience to environmental stress while potentially reducing pesticide dependence. The movement of biotechnology from laboratories into farmers' fields shows its direct potential for productivity and livelihoods.

Solutions should respond to actual farmer needs and be supported by appropriate biosafety, regulation, extension, public awareness and market systems.

Environmental biotechnology can support monitoring, early detection of environmental change, bioremediation, industrial-waste treatment and ecosystem restoration. Conference research on bacterial bio-stimulation and bioremediation demonstrated this potential.

Nigeria should strengthen investment in environmental biotechnology as part of its environmental-management and sustainable-development strategies.

Medical biotechnology offers efficient production of vaccines, biopharmaceuticals and complex therapies, with the potential to improve access to life-saving interventions.

Research in nutrition, food biotechnology and indigenous plants as alternative biological agents shows the diversity of locally relevant work. Promising findings should be translated into validated, safe and appropriately regulated products and interventions.

Institutions without adequate funding cannot reasonably fulfil their mandates or make the contribution required for national development. Nigeria must substantially increase investment in:

• research infrastructure and modern laboratories;
• equipment, maintenance and consumables;
• competitive research grants;
• AI and computational infrastructure;
• genomics and bioinformatics;
• synthetic biology;
• biosafety and biosecurity;
• human-capacity development;
• technology validation;
• intellectual-property protection;
• scale-up and pilot facilities;
• entrepreneurship and commercialization; and
• biomanufacturing.

Funding biotechnology is a strategic national investment in technological sovereignty, industrial development and economic prosperity.

Despite decades of research and institutional development, relatively few locally developed innovations have reached large-scale production. The next challenge is to identify promising work among outputs such as the Conference's 126 abstracts and move it through a complete commercial pathway.

Abstracts → Research findings → Validated technologies → Products → Enterprises → Markets

Research institutions and universities should strengthen technology-transfer offices, innovation hubs, incubators, intellectual-property systems and private-industry partnerships.

Biotechnology must be advanced safely, responsibly and critically, with appropriate consideration of human health, biodiversity and environmental safety.

Effective biosafety is not an obstacle to innovation. It creates the confidence, accountability and enabling environment necessary for responsible innovation, investment and commercialization.

Safe biotechnology will enhance prosperity, create wealth, promote national growth and contribute to food security.

Nigeria has established policies, institutions and legal mechanisms governing modern biotechnology, including the National Biosafety Management Agency as competent authority. The framework identified at the Conference includes the National Biosafety Management Agency Act (2015), National Biosafety Regulations (2017) and National Biosafety Guidelines (2018).

These address permits, risk assessment, socio-economic considerations, labelling, contained use, field trials and environmental release. The Conference also recognizes the complementary roles of NABRDA, NAFDAC, NAQS and NASC.

The Conference recognizes the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-Sharing; International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture; Nagoya–Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress; WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights; and Biological Weapons Convention.

Nigeria should ensure biotechnology development remains consistent with national laws and relevant international obligations.

Fake, counterfeit and substandard products can undermine public confidence in biotechnology and legitimate technological development. Stronger quality assurance, traceability, public education, product verification and regulatory enforcement are required.

Scientists, regulators and biotechnology institutions must communicate in accessible, transparent and evidence-based ways.

Training must move beyond conventional laboratory skills to include AI, computational biology, bioinformatics, genomics, synthetic biology, biological engineering, biosafety, biosecurity, intellectual property, entrepreneurship, product development, regulatory science, bioprocess engineering and manufacturing.

Young scientists should be prepared not only to conduct experiments and publish, but also to identify problems, develop innovations, create products, establish enterprises and lead industries.

No single institution can independently build Nigeria's bioeconomy. Government, universities, research institutes, industry, investors, regulators and development partners must work together.

Industry should be involved earlier so technologies are developed with actual demand, affordability, manufacturability, scalability and commercial viability in view.

BSN should continue to lead scientific exchange, professional development, advocacy, research-industry collaboration and safe biotechnology.

Its priorities should include increased funding; problem-driven research; research-industry partnerships; commercialization and entrepreneurship; responsible governance; AI and synthetic biology; development of young scientists; and policies that strengthen Nigeria's bioeconomy.