A coalition of farmers, scientists/researchers, nutritionists, legal practitioners, medical practitioners, civil society organisations, among others, has again heightened its call on the government to enforce a ban on the commercialisation of genetically modified crops in the country.

The call followed the recommendations adopted on the floor of the House House of Representatives in 2024 that the federal government should consider suspending all GMOs.

The coalition, including Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation for Africa (CAPPA), Women Environmental Programme, BFA Food and Health Limited, and 74 others, made the call during a rally held yesterday at the entrance of the National Assembly on food sovereignty and environmental justice, organised by HOMEF and GMO Free Nigeria.

They emphasised the need for concrete action on the 2024 recommendation of the Nigerian House of Representatives to suspend GMOs pending a comprehensive investigation into the approval processes and the regulatory framework governing GMOs in the country.

The coalition, while submitting a petition to the House of Representatives, insisted that the continued deployment and commercialisation of GMOs in Nigeria pose grave risks to food sovereignty, biodiversity, farmers’ livelihoods, public health, and environmental health.

The Executive Director of HOMEF, Ninmo Bassey who was represented by Director of Programmes Joyce Brown, stated “The key concerns concerning GMOs that we cannot afford to overlook include the contamination and loss of Nigeria’s genetic resources/diversity due to cross pollination from the genetically engineered crops; soil degradation resulting from transfer of toxins from GMOs such as the Bt Cowpea and Cotton.

She also frowned on the loss of food sovereignty in the country, given that international corporations control the seeds and farmers have to buy them season after season, negating the age-old Nigerian/African culture of saving and sharing seeds.

The Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action and Friends of the Earth Nigeria,Mariann Bassey-Olsson, noted that widespread resistance to GMOs is not unique to Nigeria or Nigerians, as over 30 countries worldwide have banned GMOs.

She stated, “In the European Union, countries like France, Germany, Austria, Greece, Hungary, the Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Poland, Denmark, Malta, Slovenia, Italy, and Croatia have banned GMOs. Switzerland and Russia also have bans on GMOs. In the Asia-Pacific region, Australia, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan, Japan, and Saudi Arabia have bans on GMOS. In the Americas, Belize, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela have banned GMOs. In Africa, countries such as Algeria, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe have banned both the import and cultivation of GMOs. ”

She added that in 2024, Mexico imposed an indefinite ban on genetically engineered corn, as the courts had declared that, based on the evidence before them, genetically engineered crops posed a risk of imminent harm to the environment.

Also speaking at the rally, the Country Director of the Bio-integrity and Natural Food Awareness Initiative, Dr Jacqueline Ikeotuonye, debunked the argument that GMOs help to increase yields. She noted that the yields from GMOs are not significantly higher than those of conventional varieties.

She cited a report by the National Cotton Association of Nigeria (NACOTAN) in 2024, which indicated that farmers did not record any notable increase in their yields compared to local seed varieties. However, she observed that over three years of planting the GM variety, yield per hectare remained nearly the same.

According to her, NACOTAN also reported that no other plant has been able to germinate on the farmlands where the GM seeds were planted, even after four years.

Furthermore, Dr Ikeotuonye noted that “farmers across the country have complained that with GMOs, productivity reduces in the second planting season, meaning they cannot replant these seeds but have to continuously purchase the seeds every new season.”

Associate Director of Climate and Environment Programme at Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPP), Mr Martins Ogunlade, stressed the need for serious accountability from the regulatory agency — the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).

He noted that to date, there is no evidence of any long-term risk assessment having been undertaken, including clinical trials conducted before the commercial release of the GM crops released in Nigeria so far.

One of the women farmers at the rally, Lovelyn Ejim, emphasised that decisions made by the government should be in the interest of the Nigerian people, adding that since 2013, there has been increased demand from Nigerians in online media and various other forums for a ban on GMOs.

“It is clear that Nigerians do not want this technology in their food, and the government’s persistent approval of GMOs signifies a total disregard for the rights of the people and reveals vested interests in this technology,” she concluded.

Key demands at the rally include an immediate ban on all GMO materials for planting, food, feed production, and processing in Nigeria. Participants also called for a ban on all imported processed foods containing bioengineered ingredients from our market shelves.

Other key demands include nullifying all permits granted so far, as they are not supported by adequate and certified risk assessments; and investing in agro-ecology, organic farming, and other food production practices or systems that ensure food security and food sovereignty while strengthening the Nigerian economy.