BIORESOURCES DEVELOPMENT
Preamble
Nigeria is endowed with enormous bioresources stretching across six main ecological zones namely; mangrove/swamp, rain forests, derived savannah, montaine/plateau, savannah and semi arid. Increasing pressure on bioresources due to several human activities has disrupted the balance between human consumption and natural regeneration. Also, since our traditional agriculture markets are yielding to synthetic and genetically engineered products, we need to diversify our production base through rational exploitation and marketing of our bioresources.
Policy Statement
Nigeria’s huge bioresources endowment with it’s comparative and competitive advantages must be fully and sustainably exploited, through regulated bioprospecting of these natural resources for use in Agriculture, Health and Industry.
Objectives
The main objectives in the development of Nigerian bioresources are to ensure the;

1. Promotion of sustainable utilization of biological resources.
2. Conservation of plants, animals, and microbial genetic resources.
3. Documentation of indigenous knowledge of our bioresources.
4. Inventory leading to development of database for our bioresources as well as their information management and dissemination.
5. Research on and Development of our bioresources so as to discover and develop novel products as well as improve the production of our indigenous plants and animals.
6. Training and continuing education of experts in the field of bioresources.
7. Promotion of and collaboration in bioresources development with private and public sectors, researchers, industry and academia.
8. Development of bioresources entrepreneurship especially for natural medicines, agriculture and Industry.

Strategies

1. Development of regulated bioprospecting capacities through well-coordinated programme.
2. Research and development of our indigenous plants and animals as to characterize them, and evaluate their economic potentials.
3. Development of well equipped laboratories for sustainable exploration and exploitation of bioresources of the main ecological zones.
4. Discovery and development of novel biologically active chemical substances from indigenous natural resources, typically providing leads for new pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, flavours, fragrances and crop protection agents.
5. Establishment of entrepreneurial activities from associated life sciences research and development.
6. Application of information technology to Bioresources Development.
7. Development and co-ordination of clearing house mechanism and access to genetic resources.
8. Establishment of networks in the filed of bioresources development.
9. Establishment of appropriate legislation to protect this national patrimony in the areas of conservation, exploration and capacity building.

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