The Department of Biosafety was established in 2010 as a Federal department under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, through the Biosafety Core Team rating established in 2008. The department is the country's main authority for all activities related to modern biosafety/biotechnology and monitor all activities related to modified living organisms (LMO) and products of such organisms. The department is also the Secretariat to the National Biosafety Board (NBB) and the Genetic Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC).
Currently, the Biosafety Department is staffed by 25 staff, which is structured under three sections which is The Research and Evaluation Section; The Enforcement and Monitoring Section; The Corporate and Management Section; and The Integrity Unit:
- Evaluation and Research Section responsible for processing applications (for approval application, notification and registration of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)) and issuing certificates of approval. As the Secretariat for GMAC, this section is responsible for preparing documents for GMAC evaluation, obtaining input from relevant government agencies, and coordinating GMAC recommendations to LBK.
- Enforcement and Monitoring Section responsible for all monitoring and enforcement activities, including sampling and analysis of products suspected of containing LMOs, conducting investigations for suspected non-compliance activities, and enforcement of NBB decisions for approval applications and notifications.
- Corporate and Management Section responsible for coordinating human resource matters, managing financial allocations for all programs/activities as well as conducting promotions and publicity. This section also the secretariat to the National Biosafety Board.
- Integrity Unit is focal point for the management of integrity issues in the Department of Biosafety.
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