Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
Experts and researchers have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to place a total ban on Genetically Modified Organisms GMOs in Nigeria saying that its effect in the health, safety eco-system and food security is devastating.
Executive Director Centre for Food Security and Agricultural Research Prof. Orissteburg Amua and other researchers made the call at a public hearing of the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services and four other committees on Tuesday at the National Assembly.
He said that the complex intersection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), food safety,
and food sovereignty in Nigeria of how GMOs, as currently promoted and integrated into the
fabric of our nation agricultural practices, may adversely affect the Nigerian
agricultural and food sector; and the broader national socio-economic
landscape.
He noted with grave concerns the surrounding health implications, environmental degradation, socio-economic effects, and the potential erosion of Nigeria’s food sovereignty and strategic national security. The final
recommendations advocate for a robust national policy that places the.protection of human health, environmental sustainability, and Nigeria’s
economic independence, food sovereignty and strategic national security at the
forefront, strongly advocating a total ban on GMOs in Nigeria.
Other researchers in agriculture and allied disciplines urged a global resistance to GMOs, with countries such as Russia, France, Germany, and
Zambia rejecting or reversing their stance on GMOs.
These international cases they said ought to, and should serve as vital lessons for Nigeria, as these poignantly reveal that the risks associated with GMOs—ranging from environmental damage to
socio-economic displacement—are both real and enduring; and thus a decisive
legislative action warranting a total ban on GMOs in Nigeria, will not be a case
in isolation.
According to them, report drawn from forensic evidence and case studies, framing sees
GMOs as an economic Trojan horse designed to undermine food security and consolidate global corporate control over the agricultural and food sector in
Nigeria.
In a report, they further offered a comparative analysis between nations that
embraced GMOs and those that resisted, emphasizing that countries reversing
their stance did so after experiencing adverse outcomes. From biodiversity loss
to socio-economic upheaval, the consequences of GMO adoption have led many
to recognize that GMOs offer short-term benefits while embedding long-term
risks that jeopardize food sovereignty and national agricultural stability.
CEFSAR, being a scientific research centre, representative of the voices of millions of innocent Nigerian consumers, advocates for an outright ban on GMO
adoption in Nigeria, or a long-term moratorium (25 years at the least); urging Nigeria’s National Assembly to deploy the instrument of legislation, to preserve
the rich biodiversity, ensure the sustainability of traditional agricultural practices, and stop the economic pitfalls associated with reliance on foreign
corporations.
They had argued that in order to maintain food sovereignty and support smallholder farmers, it is essential that Nigeria adopts a firm stance against GMOs.
