For generations, smallholder farmers across Nigeria have saved seeds from previous harvests, exchanged them with neighbours and passed down indigenous varieties to their children.

But as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) gain a foothold in the country’s agricultural sector, farmers and food sovereignty campaigners fear they could lose control over what they plant, how they farm and, ultimately, what Nigerians eat.

That concern brought dozens of farmers, women leaders, activists, civil society groups and youth coalitions to Ikeja Bridge, Lagos, yesterday, in a protest against what they described as the growing corporate control of Nigeria’s food system.

Carrying placards and chanting, “GMOs will not address Nigeria’s food crisis,” the protesters argued that genetically engineered seeds were not the answer to food insecurity.

Instead, they called for greater investment in smallholder farmers, the protection of indigenous seeds and a shift towards agroecology, which promotes sustainable farming practices and environmental conservation.

The rally, which began at about 9:00a.m., was organised by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Corporate Accountability and Participation Africa (CAPPA), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) and the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance.

For the participants, the issue went beyond agricultural technology. It was about whether farmers would retain the freedom to save and exchange seeds or become increasingly dependent on commercial suppliers for successive planting seasons.

Addressing the crowd, an organiser from HOMEF, Ms Joyce Brown, reminded the demonstrators that food was a concern shared by everyone, regardless of social or economic status.

“There is nobody who doesn’t eat food, whether you are rich or poor, educated or uneducated,” she said, drawing applause.

She questioned the long-term implications of altering the genetic characteristics of seeds in laboratories, arguing that the consequences might not be fully understood.

“Scientists and corporations are changing the genes of seeds, the very traits given by nature. They claim it is for pest control, but when you change those genes, other unpredictable side effects emerge. As our people say, ‘you cannot cheat nature,’” she said.

The campaigners also warned that patented genetically modified seeds could weaken traditional farming practices by making farmers reliant on biotechnology companies for fresh supplies.

They argued that such dependence could increase production costs and undermine farmers’ independence. They further expressed concern that cultivating genetically modified crops, including cotton, could affect soil conditions and the ability of conventional and indigenous varieties to thrive.

However, these claims were presented by the campaigners as concerns requiring further investigation.

Public health was another major issue raised at the rally. A molecular biologist, public health expert and food policy analyst, Dr Casmir Ifeanyi, questioned whether Nigeria had sufficient independent, long-term research to establish the safety of genetically engineered crops and assess their potential health implications.

He cited possible allergenicity and toxicity, as well as concerns about changes to proteins during genetic engineering.

He also questioned whether the country had adequate baseline health data to assess long-term trends in cancer and other chronic diseases alongside changes in dietary habits.

Ifeanyi expressed concern that genetic modification could affect the nutritional composition of food and the human gut microbiome.

The speakers called for comprehensive, independent assessments before further approvals and wider commercial use of genetically modified crops.

By about 11:00 a.m., the demonstrators had begun marching from Ikeja Bridge towards the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, taking their demands to lawmakers.

Chanting, “Food, Not Poison!” and “GMO-Free Nigeria Now!”, they distributed informational flyers to market women, motorists and other residents along the route.

At the Assembly complex, security officials and administrative representatives received the protesters.

Speaking on behalf of CAPPA, Mr Olamide Martins urged the Lagos State Government to support a ban on genetically modified crops and foods, arguing that public health and the protection of local farming communities should take priority over corporate interests.

“Our public health system is already overwhelmed. Hospitals are witnessing an influx of non-communicable diseases, including unexplained cancers, linked directly to what ends up on our dining tables,” Martins said.

He called on Lagos to promote agroecological farming and introduce policies that would protect farmers from excessive corporate influence.

“Government must stop subjecting our food sovereignty to corporate actors whose primary motive is profit. Lagos must lead the way by establishing policies that protect local farming and promote agroecology,” he added.

Also speaking, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, Ms Joyce Brown, warned that cross-pollination between genetically modified crops and conventional varieties could threaten the preservation of indigenous seeds.

She argued that the spread of modified genetic material into local crops could make it difficult for farmers to maintain traditional varieties and retain control over their seeds.

“If our local cassava, cowpea and corn varieties are contaminated, our farmers lose their independence forever,” she said.

Brown cited Mexico and more than 30 other countries as examples of places that, according to her, had introduced restrictions or bans on GMOs to protect indigenous crops and food sovereignty.

She also urged the Lagos Assembly to enforce what she described as a 2024 House of Representatives resolution calling for a suspension of new GMO approvals pending comprehensive, long-term and independent risk assessments and clinical trials.

Despite the delegation’s efforts to present its demands directly to lawmakers, the protesters did not meet any legislators during the visit.

Administrative and security officials told them that the Assembly was on recess until November 9. They acknowledged receipt of the coalition’s submission and advised its representatives to send a formal reminder addressed to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, when plenary resumed.

The officials also advised the group to direct its petition to the Speaker for possible referral to the appropriate committees on agriculture and health.

The organisers said they would return with a formal letter detailing their concerns and demands.