Published January 3, 2025
By Our Correspondent
Dr. Bridget Aito-Bobadoye, a visiting assistant professor at the D.B. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, has called on the Nigerian government to prioritize policies addressing the growing threat of invasive pests in the country.
Speaking in Ilorin, Dr. Aito-Bobadoye emphasized the importance of adopting regulatory frameworks to prevent the spread of pests that endanger ecosystems, food security, and economies across Africa.
She highlighted how climate change has exacerbated the issue of invasive insect pests, stressing the need for a harmonized biosecurity act across African nations.
In her role as a principal research fellow at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, she explained that biosecurity aims to prevent the movement of harmful disease-causing agents.
She identified Nigeria’s porous borders and unregulated trade routes, especially for unprocessed wood and firewood, as significant challenges in addressing biosecurity risks.
Dr. Aito-Bobadoye recommended a regional biosecurity act to improve pest response and tighten regulations governing the import, export, and movement of plants and animals, advocating for stronger alignment with international agreements like the Nagoya and Cartagena protocols.
She also called for enhanced cooperation between immigration services and forestry departments, including phytosanitary commissions, to limit the spread of invasive pests.
In particular, Dr. Aito-Bobadoye’s research on destructive pests such as the long-horned beetle has demonstrated the potential global impact of unchecked pest invasions.
She urged African nations to adopt stronger biosecurity measures to protect the continent’s ecosystems and economies for a sustainable future.
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