Campaigners demand GMO ban, advocate Agroecology for food security

Nigerian Campaigners Urge GMO Ban, Push for Agroecology as Solution to Food Sovereignty and Climate Resilience

The Nigerian government has been urged to ban Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and adopt agroecology as a sustainable solution for food sovereignty and climate resilience.

This call was made by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) during an awareness campaign held in Benin City on Friday in collaboration with Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO).

The GMO-Free Nigeria Awareness Campaign, which spanned across 10 states, brought campaigners to key government institutions in Edo State, including the State House of Assembly, Government House, and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, where petitions were submitted to lawmakers and officials.

With placards reading slogans like “Food should not be grown in a Lab,” “Support Small-Scale Farmers”and“GMOs Have to Go #BanGMOs,” the campaigners raised concerns about the environmental and socio-economic risks of genetically modified crops.

In a statement, HOMEF’s Executive Director, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, criticized GMOs as an unsustainable solution to food insecurity, arguing that they promote dependency on multinational corporations rather than supporting local farmers and economic growth.

He cited the experience of Nigerian cotton farmers under the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN), who reported no significant yield improvements from GM cotton seeds introduced over four years ago.

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“Farmers observed that no other plant could germinate on lands where GM seeds had been planted, even after four years,” Bassey explained, highlighting concerns about biodiversity loss and soil degradation caused by genetically modified crops.

He further lamented that GM seeds cannot be replanted after harvest due to declining yields, forcing farmers to repurchase seeds every season—a system he described as “neo-colonialism and corporate capture of our food system.”

Adding his voice, Barr. Ifeanyi Nwankwere, National Coordinator of the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, raised alarms over Nigeria’s biosafety regulatory system. He criticized the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act for lacking provisions on strict liability, precautionary principles, and adequate public participation in decision-making.

Nwankwere pointed out conflicts of interest in the composition of NBMA’s board, which includes members of the National Biotechnology Development and Research Agency (NABDA)—a promoter of GMOs. “This raises critical concerns about impartiality when granting permits for GM crops,” he stressed.

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He also highlighted the absence of GMO labeling, making it difficult for consumers to identify and avoid genetically modified foods. Nigeria’s food markets, where goods are sold in cups and basins, pose additional challenges to effective labeling.

At the Edo State Government House, EDOCSO’s Coordinator-General, Leftist Omobude Agho, called for decisive action from the state government.

Agho urged Governor Godwin Obaseki to introduce an Executive Bill that would criminalize the sale and distribution of GMO foods within the state.

“Edo State Governor must come up with a bill that stipulates severe punishment, such as 21 years imprisonment, for anyone caught selling GMO foods,” Agho declared. He accused Western corporations of using GMOs to introduce diseases and shorten life spans, ultimately to sell pharmaceutical products.

“They want to colonize our food system and make us dependent on their laboratories. Our lives are our rights; we must reject GMOs,” he added passionately.

The campaigners advocated for agroecology as a viable alternative, emphasizing its potential to promote sustainable agriculture, empower small-scale farmers, and restore biodiversity. Agroecology, they argued, aligns with Nigeria’s need for a resilient and independent food system that is not controlled by multinational corporations.

The GMO-Free Nigeria campaign continues to gather momentum nationwide, as activists and concerned citizens demand policies that protect Nigeria’s food sovereignty, environmental health, and the livelihoods of local farmers.