Education
Experts seek amendment to biosafety agency act for stricter conditions for GMO approval – EnviroNews
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Experts have called for the amendment of National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act to enshrine a multi-agency approach in the approval and release of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country.
They made the call in separate interviews with newsmen during a media training on “Biosafety and Agroecology”, organised for journalists in Abuja from June 8 to 9, 2026.
A Molecular Biologist and a Public Health expert, Dr Casmir Ifanyi, said that the Act as it currently is, vested so many powers on NBMA which does not protect consumers and Nigeria’s food sovereignty.
According to him, there is no default safety and, as a result, there is no consensus on the safety of GMOs as plant and food across the world.
He said that verifiable data show that 22 million Nigerians which represent 10 per cent of the population live with one form of liver or kidney disease.
He said that, just like cancer, literatures have linked such diseases to the consumption of highly processed food.
“What we want is a situation where we will have a multi-sectoral and multi-agency approving system for GMOs in Nigeria.
“That will help save Nigerians. Preferably, there is need for a moratorium of not less than 20 years on the approvers of GMO.
“And let us dedicate effort to crop breeding conventionally in Nigeria because we need that to preserve our nation.
“By adopting GMO, we are losing the potential of this country which is very massive in the area of agricultural production,” he said.
Also speaking, the Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Dr Nnimmo Bassey, said that the deployment of GMOs in Nigeria has witnessed severe backlash due to the implications on human, animal or environmental health and wellbeing.
According to him, it has also faced resistance due to the relax regulatory system in place, where approvals are granted without due consideration for public opinion, independent and long term risk assessment as well as proper surveillance of imported processed food in malls.
Bassey said that, in March 2026, the NBMA reported an alleged illegal confined field trials and registration of four new transgenic cotton hybrid varieties.
These varieties are MIC 561 BGII, MIC 563 BGII, BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1001, BIOSEED-FIYAH CH1002 by the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries.
According to him, these GMOs were registered on March 26, 2026, without the notice and approval of the NBMA as required under the NBMA Act 2015 (as amended in 2019).
“Strict biosafety frameworks are essential to ensure that decisions regarding new agricultural technologies are guided by precaution, transparency, scientific integrity and the public interest.
“Citizens have a right to know what is entering their food system and what implications these technologies may have for human health, biodiversity, farmers’ livelihoods and future generations,” he said.
Bassey said that the role of media practitioners is indispensable to influence public perception, policy debates, reinforce dominant narratives and create space for diverse voices and evidence-based discussions.
“As journalists, you serve as bridges between scientific information, policy processes, farming communities, and the wider public.
“We, therefore, encourage you to approach issues of biosafety and agroecology with critical thinking and a commitment to public accountability,” he said.
The Programmes Director of HOMEF, Mrs. Joyce Brown, recalled that, in May 2024, the House of Representatives recommended a halt in approvals of GMOs and an investigation into the processes of approvals.
She said that the house organised a public hearing on the subject where scientists and researchers, CSOs, legal practitioners, farmers and other stakeholders openly rejected GMOs for accompanied high risks.
“The organising committee noted all the submissions with a significant number of lawmakers, buttressing the concerns.
“However, nearly two years after that hearing, there is no follow-up action; the Nigerian public demands a definite decision by the Nigerian legislative and executive government with regard to GMOs.
“We cannot afford to play politics with food or with human life or stay on the fence, regarding GMOs,” she said.
In another session, Programme Manager (Sustainable Nigeria) of Heinrich Böll Stiftung Nigeria and agroecology advocate, Ikenna Donald Ofoegbu, highlighted the power of narratives in influencing public perception, policy decisions, investment priorities and consumer behaviour.
He argued that storytelling remains one of the most effective tools for communicating complex agricultural issues, stressing that “people remember stories more than statistics.”
Ofoegbu noted that despite recent declines in food inflation, Nigeria’s food system continues to face significant challenges, including widespread food insecurity, declining soil fertility, climate-related disruptions, biodiversity loss, rising food imports, food safety concerns, and increasing dependence on agrochemicals and genetically modified crops.
A major takeaway from the training was the need for more investigative journalism on agricultural supply chains, particularly the corporations and brands linked to chemicals and pesticides that have been banned or restricted elsewhere. Facilitators encouraged journalists to pursue accountability-focused reporting that informs public debate and strengthens evidence-based policymaking.
The training forms part of HOMEF’s broader advocacy efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, environmental justice and informed public engagement on food, hunger, and farming issues in Nigeria.
By EricJames Ochigbo and Nsikak Ekere
