Health experts and biosafety advocates have renewed concerns over GMO foods in Nigeria, warning of possible health risks and threats to food sovereignty.
Health stakeholders and experts have raised fresh concerns over the deployment and consumption of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods in Nigeria, warning that their widespread adoption could pose risks to public health and food security.
Speaking at a media training on biosafety and agroecology attended by journalists, including Daily Post, participants questioned the growing introduction of genetically modified crops into Nigeria’s agricultural system.
The debate comes months after the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties approved four new transgenic cotton varieties, a move that intensified scrutiny of GMO regulation in the country.
Addressing participants, health expert Dr. Ifeanyi Casmir cautioned against the increasing modification of staple crops such as cassava, maize, beans and cowpea.
“Now, the worry we have is the quest to take our staple foods, cassava, maize, beans, and cowpea, which Nigeria is one of the leading producers of globally, and to now modify them and make them proprietary,” he said.
He further claimed that “Over 80 percent of GMO crops in Nigeria and in other parts of Africa and the world depend on the use of herbicides and pesticides.”
“Are you aware that 7 out of every 13 herbicides used currently in our country… have been known to cause cancer and are considered highly hazardous pesticides?” he added.
The concerns come amid ongoing national discussions over GMO safety, regulation and agricultural sustainability.
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