In this issue, we continue to celebrate the good news from Nigeria, as the Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), secured an approval for environmental release of the drought tolerant and insect resistant TELA Maize with effect from October 8, 2021. This now places Nigeria one-step closer to commercializing biotech maize and becoming the second African county after South Africa. Read more.

A clarion call by key stakeholders during the just concluded ABBC2021 Symposium was the need to position Africa as a leader in genome editing by consolidating research efforts. Needs assessment and stakeholder consultation will be key in identifying Africa context-specific priority areas of application. Moreso, effective communication is crucial in averting mixed perceptions, as what has largely been ascribed to preceding tools like genetic modification. In our Story of the month, we feature views from one of our key Guest Speaker, Prof Aggrey Ambali who is the Head of Science, Technology and Innovation Hub (NSTIH) at the Africa Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa's Development (AUDA-NEPAD) on nurturing an enabling environment for genome editing research and adoption.

Cotton is recognized as significant priority crop in almost all African countries and more so in Malawi where they have recently commercialized Bt cotton to enhance production and control pests. Watch our Video of the Month and learn more from Malawian experts, their country's preparedness and journey with Bt cotton.

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Enjoy your ready and stay safe!