Pressure mounts on FG to ban GMOs as experts cite cancer risks

The Federal Government is facing mounting pressure to ban Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria, as experts and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) expressed concerns on Wednesday about their safety for human consumption.

The experts, who raised the concerns during a public hearing held by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Agricultural Production and Services, Privatization & Commercialisation, and Public Assets, focusing on GMOs and the concessioning of silos, said GMOs pose serious health risks for Nigerians.

At the hearing, the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, which comprises over 200 individuals and organisations—including farmers, civil society groups, scientists, nutritionists, legal practitioners, and medical experts—asked the National Assembly to ensure a total ban on GMOs in Nigeria.

Presenting a memorandum to the committee, Johnson Ekpere, a consultant to the coalition, urged the government to immediately halt GMO distribution and declare a policy against their use.

Ekpere, who was a Professor of Agriculture at the University of Ibadan, alleged that external forces promoting GMOs have contributed to insecurity in Nigeria.

“We recommend a national moratorium on GMO distribution and circulation until conclusive evidence emerges on their effects. The idea that Nigerians can be subjected to harmful practices without accountability fuels institutional arrogance,” he said.

Ekpere criticised the government’s adoption of GMOs as a quick fix for agricultural challenges, warning of serious implications for Nigeria’s food sovereignty, biodiversity, and public health.

He advocated a shift toward agroecology, including organic and regenerative agricultural practices, which are proven sustainable alternatives.

Addressing journalists after their submissions before the House committee, the experts said GMOs are “bio-weapons” that have dire long-term negative effects on health.

The coalition called on the National Assembly to ban GMOs in Nigeria and to instead invest in agroecology, comprising organic agriculture, regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and other practices that are proven to be able to transform the Nigerian food system to sustainability.

The group also cited findings that GM crops could have unexpected nutritional changes, including reduced beneficial compounds and heightened allergenic substances.

They noted that Burkina Faso phased out GM cotton in 2016 due to poor quality, yet the same variety was approved for use in Nigeria.

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The alliance criticized the lack of labeling for GMO products in Nigeria, making it difficult for consumers to identify genetically modified foods.

They warned that unregulated imports of processed foods containing GMOs pose significant health risks.

Speaking after the hearing, Mr. Qrisstuberg Amua, Executive Director of the Center for Food Safety and Agricultural Research, alleged that foreign interests were behind insecurity in Nigeria to promote GMOs.

“International forces are creating hunger scenarios to advertise genetically modified poisons. These are biological weapons aimed at compromising our food systems and health,” he claimed.

Amua, a professor of bioinorganic chemistry, linked GMOs to declining fertility rates, suggesting they may have unintended long-term effects on human health.

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reassured Nigerians that the federal government would not promote anything harmful to its citizens.

“The government would never intentionally introduce harmful substances to the people. This forum aims to bring together experts to explore balanced solutions for food security,” Kyari said.

Hon. Mukthar Tolani Shagaya from Kwara State stressed the need for caution, pointing to countries like France, Italy, and Saudi Arabia, which have banned GMOs over safety concerns.

He questioned why Nigeria should proceed with their adoption without thorough evaluation.