Experts highlights health risks of GMO food in Nigeria

throughout order to handle genetically modified organisms throughout the nation, the federal government has appealed for cooperation.

This comes as experts caution about the risks of eating genetically modified foods because of the potential health effects on consumers.

Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that the Federal Government would take all necessary steps to protect Nigerians' lives during a public hearing held in Abuja on Tuesday by the House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Production.

There will be a compromise between those who support and oppose the usage of genetically modified organisms, Kyari said, adding that the government of President Bola Tinubu is dedicated to food safety and security.

He declared, "The administration will not purposefully introduce something toxic to the people. This forum is meant for sharing ideas from GMO experts to find a level playing field for food security.

“There are seed councils and regulatory bodies in charge of checkmating seedlings used by farmers hence the need for a collaborative effort.”

At the public hearing anti-GMO campaigners under the aegis of GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, made up of about 200 individuals and groups expressed concern over what they call the health and environmental impact of consuming genetically modified foods.

The group also urged the National Assembly to put a complete ban on GMOs, stressing that external bodies bent on introducing GMOs into the country are partly responsible for the challenges of insecurity in Nigeria.
Inibehe Effiong, the group's consultant, reportedly requested the Federal Government to establish a policy of "No to GMO and GMO distribution and circulation in Nigeria" in their memo to the Committee.

"We would like to see a national moratorium declared in the interim, while the argument is still ongoing, that even if they are not convinced that the adverse effects that the majority of the experts have spoken eloquently to are obvious, even if they still want to go ahead with the investigation, pending when they conclude," he said.

It's a common misconception that you can do anything you want to Nigerians and nothing will happen. And that clarifies some of the institutional arrogance that we witness today. To the point that someone was so audacious as to say it is better to eat and die than not to eat and die.

“While we recognise the government’s efforts at improving food security in Nigeria, the adoption of GMOs as a silver bullet to agricultural challenges is an error. Continuing this path holds serious implications on Nigeria’s food sovereignty, on our biodiversity/environmental sustainability, and our health.”

Also speaking, a stakeholder, John Ekpere noted that in September 2024, the National Cotton Association of Nigeria reported that they “Did not record any significant increase in their yields compared to the local seed varieties. They added that instead, since the introduction of GM cotton seeds during the 2020/2021 farming season, yield per hectare remained almost the same.

Additionally, they stated that even after four years, no other plant has been able to sprout on the farmlands where the genetically modified seeds were sown.

Although some genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are engineered to have higher concentrations of specific nutrients, research has shown that other vital nutrients or functions may be diminished in the process. The presumption of substantial comparability is incorrect, according to a thorough scientific comparison of GM crops and their non-GM counterparts, which has shown some surprising discrepancies.

Speaking to reporters following the hearing, Mr. Qrisstuberg Amua, Executive Director of the Centre for Food Safety and Agriculture Research, attributed Nigeria's security issues to outside factors.

The alleged food basket in Benue State is empty, he claimed, not because Benue people aren't growing food or because they don't have genetically modified organisms. The reason for this is the emergence of foreign and ethnic interests. GMOs are agents of mass destruction and biological weapons.

"They are secretly financing and promoting instability in our country, and I urge the national security apparatus to thoroughly examine this and find out why our farmers are unable to work on their farms. However, these individuals are prepared to fabricate a starving scenario in order to promote genetically created poisons.