By Ozioruva Aliu

BENIN CITY – THE Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria ((ERA/FoEN) and the GMO-free Nigeria Alliance have called on Wednesday said relying on genetically modified foods would not solve food security in Nigeria and have called on the Federal Government to place a moratorium on the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their products in Nigeria.

This call was made in a press briefing to mark World Food Safety Day 2025. The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, stated that a suspension of GMOs, including a nullification of previous permits and approvals, is critical because GMOs are designed not to address food insecurity but to consolidate control of food and farming system in the hands of a few corporations/seed industries.

He said “This is known by the patent rights enforced on the products, which prohibit farmers from saving, sharing or replanting the seeds. Even those without the patent restrictions, when replanted, yield poorly. This is a calculated attack on Nigeria’s food sovereignty and must be seen as such.

“Seed saving and sharing is an age-long culture in Nigeria, where farming is about 80%
informal, with farmers being able to select and improve seeds using traditional methods and being able to exchange the same.

“It is worthy of note that the Cotton Farmers’ Association of Nigeria in 2024 noted that in about three years since they were given the Bt Cotton to plant, they haven’t recorded any significant increase in yields compared to the indigenous varieties; instead they have observed that their soils become unproductive after they planted the genetically modified cotton” Dr
Bassey explained.

Also speaking, Dr Ifeanyi Casmir, a molecular biologist and researcher, noted that GMOs affect human gene regulation and can derail the gene regulatory system adding that there is no evidence of “long-term risk assessment conducted by our government on the
health impact of GMOs.”

He highlighted that several studies link the consumption of GMOs to diverse health disorders, including immune system dysregulation, increased allergic responses, chronic inflammation and organ toxicity, as well as tumour development.

“Another critical reason why Nigeria should hold the brakes on GMOs is the impact on the environment. Bt Crops, for example, the Bt beans that were approved for commercial release in 2019 and 2024, respectively, contain proteins that, when released into the soil, destroy soil
microorganisms, leading to soil degradation and reduced fertility. There have been reported cases of pest resistance leading to the development of superbugs and superweeds in the case of the herbicide-tolerant GMOs, which make up about 80% of all GMOs globally.

According to Barr. Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, ERA’s Deputy Executive Director, Nigeria, currently does not have a policy on open market labelling and as such, the public does not have the right of choice asto whether or not to consume GMOs. “This negates our right of choice and the right to safe food.”

The briefing was concluded by stressing that Nigeria can transform its agriculture system in an inclusive and sustain-able manner by adopting and promoting agroecology – which not only ensures increased productivity by improving soil health and biodiversity but also assures
economic resilience for our farmers as well as climate change resilience.