NGOs urge GMO ban over health, food security concerns

Two prominent non-governmental organisations, the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR) and the Centre for African Policy Research and Advisory, have jointly called on the Nigerian government to immediately ban the importation and cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), citing grave concerns over national health, agricultural sovereignty, and food security.

Speaking at a one-day advocacy workshop for journalists in Abuja, Executive Director of CEFSAR, Prof. Chris Qrisstuberg Amua, and his counterpart, Dr. Segun Adebayo, warned that the unchecked proliferation of GMO products poses existential threats to Nigeria’s population and traditional farming systems.

Prof. Amua argued that the introduction of GMO products threatens the nation’s quest for food safety and self-sufficiency.

He warned that GMOs—many of which are banned in Europe—are being imported into Nigeria without adequate oversight, undermining the country’s agricultural sustainability and potentially endangering public health.

“There is credible evidence linking the rise of GMOs and the herbicide glyphosate with increases in conditions such as cancer, diabetes, infertility, and neurological disorders,” Amua stated.

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“These trends, observed especially in the United States since the 1990s, demand urgent independent scientific scrutiny. Nigeria must not follow the same path blindly.”

He further warned that the spread of GMOs could lead to corporate domination of agriculture by biotech giants like Monsanto, displacing local farmers and crippling indigenous agricultural systems.

Amua also criticized the Nigeria Seed Variety Act of 2021, stating it exposes smallholder farmers to legal risks and corporate exploitation.

Drawing parallels with countries like Angola, Bhutan, and several European nations that have banned GMOs, Amua called on Nigeria’s House of Representatives to enact binding legislation that would halt GMO proliferation and prioritize local food systems.

Meanwhile, Dr. Adebayo delivered a stark warning on national security implications.

He called the spread of GMOs in Nigeria a form of “scientific warfare” and warned that Nigeria could become a dumping ground for rejected biotechnology products if decisive action is not taken.

“We are facing a war fought not with bullets, but with genes and seeds,” Adebayo said. “This is not just about food—it is about national survival. Reckless approvals, lack of oversight, and foreign biotech interests have created vulnerabilities in our food system that could be exploited for agricultural sabotage.”

He called for a total and immediate ban on GMO importation and cultivation until a comprehensive, independent national study is conducted to assess GMO penetration and risks.

In addition, Adebayo urged the federal government to: Expel foreign influence from Nigeria’s biosafety regulatory agencies; Launch a biosecurity strategy integrating public, private, and military intelligence; Safeguard Nigeria’s agricultural and biotech data from external control.

Both NGOs strongly emphasized the need for a sovereign and transparent food system that prioritizes Nigerian interests.

They urged the media to play an active role in enlightening the public on the risks associated with GMOs and to push for accountability in biosafety governance.

Their joint call follows a May 2024 resolution by the House of Representatives, which requested a temporary halt to the introduction of GMOs pending further investigation by its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services.