It was an audacious show of ‘people power’ when members of the House of Representatives, leaders of various MDAs, the academia, scientists, lawyers, and civil society organisations took the call for the ban on GMOs to the National Assembly, insisting Nigeria is not ready for the technology. Ruth Tene Natsa reports for BUSINESSDAY.

The gradual emergence of genetic engineering as well as genetically modified crops is one that has generated lots of controversies between promoters of the technology, led by the Nigeria Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), and its anti-promoters, led by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF).

Matters came to a head when the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Privatisation and Commercialisation, Public Assets, Science Engineering, and Special Duties invited stakeholders to an investigative hearing.

The hearing, chaired by Bello Ka’oje, the chairman of the joint committee that was to work on two motions, included the introduction of genetically modified organisms into Nigeria to assess the potential health and environmental risks associated with GMOs as well as the privation of 22 of Nigeria’s 33 silos.

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The chairman, in his comments, said the investigation came as a result of the mandate given to the committee on agricultural production and services, privatisation and commercialisation, science engineering, public assets, and special duties.

“The role of the parliament is to carry out its constitutional mandate of enquiring into the public asset and report back to the house and also conduct a comprehensive investigation into the introduction of genetically modified crops into Nigeria by the National Biosafety Management Agency, as well as access the potential health and environmental risks associated with it.

In his remarks, Abubakar Kyari, the minister of Agriculture and Food Security, speaking on the proliferation of genetically modified products in the sector, said before the seeds developed in our laboratories are presented for commercialisation, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security insists that they are subjected to rigorous adaptive studies as well as ensuring their safety. These are done with the collaboration of the international agricultural research institutes, donors, and local agencies.

“The ministry is fully aware of the concerns raised by the public on most of the seeds that were developed and thereby the need to investigate the process and intensify awareness on these innovations.”

“Currently Nigeria has 16 national agricultural research institutes with specific mandates for various crops, including institutes for stored produce, extension, and agricultural mechanisation, tasked with researching and developing seeds that consider negative production factors such as loss, floods, pests, and diseases.”

“The goal is for the seeds to be safe and environmentally friendly for humans, animals, and souls, he added, noting that biotechnology had also become very essential in addressing these challenges by improving the performance of local crops, animals, and fisheries.

“To ensure the safety of laboratory findings, the government has established agencies within various ministries, including the NBRDA under the ministry of science and innovative technology and the NBMA under the ministry of environment, intended to screen lab products and ensure their safety.”

He added that the Nigeria National Agricultural Research System boasts highly competent researchers dedicated to advancing agricultural development strategies.

“Apart from the agricultural researchers and scientists in our universities, we have over 200 breeders in our agricultural research institutes. These are world-class researchers with international recognition to address the problems of farmers through the production of seeds.”

However, in a memorandum composed of the articulated views/concerns of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth (ERA/FoEN) and endorsed by over 90 civil society organisations, the CSOs applauded the motion to investigate the approvals of GMOs in Nigeria and called for an outright ban of its products.

Read also: World Food Day: GMOs violate right to food safety- HOMEF

They alleged GMOs are unfit for purpose and have severe implications for human and environmental health and Nigeria’s overall food system and also called for a repeal of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act, which came into force in the year 2015 and was reviewed in 2019 to include emerging and even more contentious aspects of the extremely risky modern biotechnology.

“They also called for close surveillance of the markets and farms to halt the illegal entry of GMOs into Nigeria and into our food supply.”

The CSOs in their demands called for a ban on GMOs based on the allegations that GMOs will, in addition to the health and environmental impacts, upturn Nigeria’s food system and negatively impact food security in the long run.

They called for a nullification of all the permits issued for the importation and release of genetically modified maize, beans, cotton, and other sundry products into the country, stating these permits had been issued without regard for the complaints by millions of Nigerians and without the consent of many.

They also called for close surveillance of the markets and farms to halt the illegal entry of GMOs into Nigeria and into our food supply.

HOMEF, among other groups, also called for an outright ban of all toxic agrochemicals, also known as highly hazardous pesticides—especially glyphosate-containing ones identified as probable carcinogens, stating studies have shown that over 50 percent of pesticides registered and used by farmers in Nigeria are classified as highly hazardous.

The memorandum stated that Nigeria holds the potential to emerge as a leading force in African agriculture. However, daunting challenges jeopardise the sector’s growth and the nation’s food security. Climate-induced floods and droughts, internal conflicts, inadequate infrastructure, poor extension service, and other challenges hinder agricultural development.

GMOs, according to the CSOs tagged anti-GMO promoters, are products of genetic engineering, which is a technology that allows scientists to create plants, animals, and microorganisms by manipulating genes at the cellular level in a way that is not possible via traditional or natural processes. It allows DNA from one type of organism to be introduced into another related or unrelated species. Genetic manipulation is also done within a single organism.

“Sir, our campaign against GMOs is particularly against genetic modification of food crops and animals and any other genetic modification that will alter ecosystem balance, negatively impact our agriculture, or destroy our local economy and foods.” The memorandum read!

The group, represented by several scientists, lawyers, activists, and farmers, argued the health implications of GMOs, noting that nearly all studies that claim GMOs are safe are funded by the very biotechnology corporations that produce and/or profit from GMO sales.

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GMOs are not the solution to food insecurity

They argued that Nigeria does not need GMOs, noting they are promoted on false premises. The memorandum stated that “an in-depth scientific comparison of GM crops and their non-GM counterparts shows that the assumption of substantial equivalence is false, as unexpected differences have been found. Examples include that GM soy had 12–14 percent lower amounts of isoflavones than non-GM soy; GM soy had 27 percent higher levels of a major allergen, trypsin inhibitor, than the non-GM parent variety; canola (oilseed rape) engineered to contain vitamin A in its oil had much reduced vitamin E and an altered oil-fat composition compared with non-GM canola; experimental GM rice varieties had unintended major nutritional disturbances compared with non-GM counterparts; commercialised MON810 GM maize had a markedly different profile in the types of proteins it contained compared with the non-GM counterpart.”

Although the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has said illegal importation of GMOs into the country is being checked, these products are abundant on our market shelves (over 60 different brands, including cereals, vegetable oils, spices, ice cream, and cake mixes), as revealed by a survey that we carried out across 10 Nigerian cities in 2018, 2019, and 2023.

In her remarks, Joyce Brown, director of programmes, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, said since the announcement of approval for TELA Maize in January 2024, information available (as of June 2024) on the website of the Biosafety Clearing House of the Convention on Biological Diversity shows Nigeria has approved 25 GM products—11 for field trials, 4 for commercial release, and 10 for food, feed, and/or processing.

The four varieties approved for commercial release and market placement are 2 varieties of cowpea, cotton, and maize. It was reported in September 2024 that Nigeria is warming up to approve GM potatoes for commercial release in 2025.

She informed us that the NBMA had released 2016 Cotton for lepidopteran insect pest resistance, 2019 Cowpea for lepidopteran insect pest resistance, 2021 Maize for drought tolerance, resistance to stem borer and fall armyworm, and 2024 Cowpea containing the Cry2Ab gene conferring resistance to Maruca Pod Borer in Cowpea (Institute for Agricultural Research, Zaria).

For food, feed, and processing 2019 Soybeans for herbicide tolerance (Syngenta South Africa (pty) limited), 2019 Maize Events-3272 and MZIR093-Pest and disease resistant; herbicide tolerant; biofuel production. (Syngenta South Africa Pty Ltd.), 2022 Wheat (Trigall Genetics) Processing of edible oil, soybeans (Rom Oil Mills Limited now known as Premium Edible Oil Products Limited (PEOPL)).

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In his remarks, Prof. Tafteng Mirabeau, professor of medical microbiology and immunology, Nigeria Delta University, Bayelsa, said genetically modified foods (GMFs) are often presented to developing countries as the game changer in mitigating hunger and the solution to socio-economic problems that plague them.

“The genetically modified foods are generated from the intentional transfer of genetic materials to or from unrelated organisms, also known as transgenic, unlike hybrids, which are a natural or deliberate exchange between organisms from the same species. GMOs with their accessories (herbicides) have been documented to have serious health and environmental damages.”

The excessive use of pesticides and herbicides originating from the introduction of GM seeds has been found to alter the homeostasis, creating oxidative stress leading to cellular damage.

Some components of these products, such as the glyphosate in the ROUNDUP herbicide, have been established to be carcinogenic. Furthermore, these products have been associated with infertility. GMF has also been reported to distort the intestinal integrity of the rats and animals fed with GMF.

Qrisstuberg Amua, of the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research, said the interplay between research and biosafety in Nigeria presents a double-edged sword—one wielding immense potential for societal advancement and another posing significant risks to ecological and human health if mismanaged.

“On the other hand, dysregulated, unregulated, or poorly guided research can exacerbate biosafety challenges, particularly through the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), bio-persistent pesticides, and synthetic agrochemicals that may disrupt natural ecosystems and harm non-target species, including humans.”

In her remarks, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, a lawyer and deputy executive director of ERA/FoEN and food sovereignty coordinator at Friends of the Earth Africa, noted that “Food is a weapon, and whoever controls your food controls you and invariably controls the society. When your SEEDS are controlled, your life is colonised!”

“When the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the 1st and only international law that deals purely with genetic engineering/genetically modified organisms, was negotiated and adopted on 29 January 2000, our renowned African scholars and leaders who were part of the negotiation knew Africa would likely end up as the dumping ground for these risky technologies; they negotiated for a strict law that would protect our people, seeds, plants, animals, biodiversity, and environment.”

“The implementation of the Precautionary Principle (where in doubt, hold the breaks) was at the heart of the African negotiators of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety; its omission from the draft text in 1999 was rejected by the African Group, and that caused the collapse of the talks. The protocol could only be adopted in 2000 when the application of the Precautionary Principle had been included.

“It is therefore very sad to see that this good and long struggle, put up by our leaders, was and is still undermined by some of our government agencies, notably the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), who are supposed to act as gatekeepers and custodians of our environment.”

Read also: Why food insecurity persists, says women farmers

She said the NBMA Act is so flawed and lacks key provisions, for instance, strict liability and redress, which mandates that the biotechnology corporations take responsibility for immediate and future negative impacts of the use of their products, as is the case in a similar Act in Uganda. Other areas of concern include lack of access to information, poor public consultation and participation, provisions for appeals and reviews, and lack of veritable provisions for the enforcement of the precautionary principle and decision-making.

The lawyer cum activist noted that the NBMA Act confers enormous discretionary powers on the agency and gives little room for oversight.

“The conflict of interest inherent in the NBMA Act equally raises serious red flags about the administration of biosafety in Nigeria. We have the erstwhile National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA) sitting on the board of the NBMA. In 2016, two of the permits issued by NBMA to Monsanto Agriculture Nigeria Limited were jointly applied for by the company with NABDA for events that were to be implemented as partners. Imagine a developer/promoter of GMOs applying for a permit in partnership with a biotech company and sitting to approve the same permit. This is an obvious reason to worry about our biosafety regulatory architecture.”

Meanwhile, Kabiru Ibrahim, President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, in his remarks in his position on GMOs, said, “If you eat and die, it is better than not eating and dying.” This led to an uproar as people argued the purpose of eating is to eat and live and not eat and die.

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