Why Nigeria’s love for GMOs may lead to food ‘colonisation’

For now, it may not be wrong to say that Nigerians are becoming more confused than ever over the safety of food and agro commodities, following the endless debates that characterise the adoption or otherwise of the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), commonly called GM seeds, by Nigeria, especially now that over 42 countries have banned the cultivation of these controversial crops. Experts are insisting on their warning that through the adoption of the GMOs, the Federal Government, without conducting adequate, independent and long-term assessment, might be exposing Nigerians to some products or technologies whose negative impact on human and environmental health is allegedly huge. Currently, Nigeria tops the list of six African countries that have adopted and are now planting the GM crops, alongside Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Sudan and Swaziland. While the Federal Government and pro-GMO advocates seem unfazed and resolute in their stance, many concerned Nigerians have expressed fear that the country might be ignorantly threading the dangerous path of food colonization, GBENGA AKINFENWA writes.

Just a few weeks ago, the Nigeria Biotechnology Management Agency (NBMA) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) got entangled in an inter-agency ‘scuffle’ over the safety of genetically engineered foods, popularly known as Genetically Modified Crops.

The cold war was an aftermath of an outburst of the Director General of NAFDAC, Mrs. Mojisiola Adeyeye on the safety of the GM crops. On June 29, 2024, to be precise, Adeyeye, during an interview, stated that GMO foods in Nigeria are not considered safe for consumption due to insufficient research and data at the disposal of her agency.

“In terms of GMOs, we do not think it is safe. We don’t think it is safe for our consumption. Exactly! First, a lot of research has not been done in terms of the safety of GMO products and the genetics of the seeds have been modified. Until we get very convincing data to show the safety for human consumption,” Adeyeye said. She, however, noted that the GMOs could be used for non-food crops such as timber, furniture, and for rubber plantation, maintaining that there is no evidence from NAFDAC that the foods are safe for human consumption.

The comment drew the anger of the NBMA, which described the NAFDAC boss’ position as one that can undermine the mandate and functions of the NBMA. In its reaction to NAFDAC, the Director General of NBMA, Mrs. Asagbra, in a letter dated July 2, said: “The views you expressed appear to discredit the hard work and integrity of the NBMA and its several renowned stakeholders and experts for which your agency is one.”

Undoubtedly, the NAFDAC’s position, which attracted criticisms from pro-GMO advocates, including NBMA, echoes the sentiments and anxiety of many Nigerians on the adoption or otherwise of these crops that have brought endless fear and uncertainty to farmers, consumers and other stakeholders in the food sector. The fear is reinforced by the fact that many countries that had adopted the GMOs are opting out lately, although their reason is still shrouded in secrecy.

The genetically modified crops are plants used in agriculture, the DNA of which has been modified using genetic engineering methods. In most cases, the aim is to introduce a new trait to the plant, which does not occur naturally in the species. Food crops, for example, can be genetically engineered to be resistant to certain pests, diseases, environmental conditions, reduction of spoilage, chemical treatments – resistance to a herbicide, or just to improve the nutrient profile.

Though its adoption has been a subject of intense debate among scientists, environmentalists, food activists and civil society organisations over the years, the Federal Government and proponents of this initiative, claim that the GMOs are capable of addressing a range of agriculture, nutrition and climatic challenges in developing countries like Nigeria. What has been a major worry to the critics is that while some developing countries are responding to the health and other concerns about the GMOs through outright ban or finding a balance between the fears and the benefits, the Federal Government gave outright approval.

According to a report by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Nigeria is one of the six African countries that have adopted and are now planting the GM crops. Others are Ethiopia, Malawi, South Africa, Sudan and Swaziland. ISAAA revealed that at least 33 major food crops have been genetically modified across the globe. From the 33, Nigeria has approved four – maize, cowpea, cotton and soybean, for commercialisation.

The last entrant – TELA maize, is a maize variety that has been genetically engineered for improved insect resistance and drought tolerance, to boost farmers’ yield per hectare and also close the existing demand gaps.

Its approval and commercial release placed Nigeria second in the list of African countries that have adopted and commercialised the TELA maize varieties, behind South Africa.

The Guardian investigation showed that at least 42 countries have banned the cultivation of the GMO crops in their lands. They are – Germany, France, Australia, Norway, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Poland, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Turkey, Italy, Hungary and Greece. Others are Belize, Cyprus, Ecuador, Malta, Kenya, Algeria, Madagascar, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Latvia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, India, Bhutan, Kyrgyztan, Peru, Ukraine, Serbia, Slovenia, Venezuela, Zambia and Tanzania.

It is this latest development that has got stakeholders to be worried and anxious over the safety of food and agro commodities in Nigeria following the endless criticisms and arguments trailing the GMOs’ adoption in the country.

Some environmentalists have argued that commercialization of GMO seeds would have far-reaching consequences in Nigeria and across Africa. Aside from health and environmental consequences, critics of the GMO technology in Nigeria say it violates the principles of “food sovereignty” and are worried over the ability to effectively regulate and label genetically engineered foods, especially the newly commercialised Tela maize. There is also the concern that GM seeds are often patent-locked and privatised, which could weaken the position of African farmers and communities and worsen the depletion of indigenous/conventional seed banks on the continent.

There have been allegations of attempts by some foreign institutions to control food supply in the world and ensure that Africa is put under food colonialism through the GMOs, hybrid crops and agricultural technology of chemicals that destroy the soils and the continent’s ability to reproduce food.

For instance, in Zimbabwe, the farmers claimed that they have started losing their conventional seeds as a result of the introduction of the GMO seeds. It is also rumoured that the introduction of the GMOs on the continent might be another orchestrated attempt by the West to reduce Africa’s population, since the COVID-19 pandemic had little effect in that regard.

In addition, the Brazilian Supreme Court, recently ordered Bayer to return the $252million it charged farmers as royalties for using GMO products in their farms. Though further information on this ruling is still sketchy, concerned experts say the court order has further confirmed the danger posed by the cultivation and consumption of the GMOs.

An agribusiness specialist, Mr. Oluwaseyi Ifelaja, said the proliferation of GMO seeds was aimed at neo-colonisation of the developing countries. “The discussion on GMOs should have been locked away since three decades ago when the infiltration by the colonialists into our food system became pronounced. We consider the crops and seeds as agents of colonisation tied to agric-led growth and food security. The thought of having GMO patented seeds as the order of the day should be vehemently opposed and critically looked into before we sign off our food security.”

Amid this controversy and concern over food and environment safety, the House of Representatives in May urged the Federal Government to suspend the commercialisation of the GMO crops.

An environmentalist, who doubles as the Executive Director, Health of the Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, described the GMOs as risky manipulations. According to Bassey, the law requires risk assessments, sadly, the law in Nigeria does not have provisions for strict liability.

“Citizens are being treated like Guinea pigs. As we all know, seeds are basically engineered to act as pesticides or to withstand very toxic herbicides. The dangerous seeds are also produced to do the same.

“We are literally being ambushed to eat GMO foods because the farmers are not informed that they are being given transgenic seeds and the food sellers cannot label GMOs due to our largely informal markets. Not labeling GMOs is against the law and to continue to deploy their varieties is a lawless activity. To ensure wholesome foods, the government should support farmers and the use of indigenous varieties that are safe, resilient to climate stresses, and are culturally appropriate.

“The government should focus more on this, rather than exposing the people and the environment to harm in an attempt to invest in technology that promotes monoculture, dependence on dangerous chemicals, which erodes the country’s biodiversity.

“They are genetically engineered to act as pesticides ostensibly to kill identified pests that would otherwise attack the crop or seeds. Examples include Bt Cotton and Bt Cowpea or beans approved for commercial release in Nigeria. The implication of eating a seed engineered to kill a pest is that you are actually eating a pesticide with unexamined implications, including on the microbes in our guts,” he said.

The expert noted that in a country like Nigeria, consumers are unable to exercise the right to choose whether or not to consume GMOs due to the peculiar way food is sold and consumed. “We cannot label the foods and seeds largely sold by the roadside, in the traffic, and in an assortment of our informal markets. This is even if labeling is to be successfully enforced.”

The Executive Director further said: “It is unacceptable that in the name of food sufficiency, the country is exposing its citizens to products of risky technologies without adequate, independent and long-term assessment on their impacts on human and environmental health.

“So far, GMOs have been linked to cancers, diseases, allergies, and all sorts of health challenges due to environmental implications because of their dependency on toxic pesticides and the destruction of biodiversity and nutritional diversity. We are also concerned that there is no way to label or inform our farmers that they are planting GMO maize. To deny Nigerians the right of choice is highly objectionable and wicked.”

The former Executive Director, National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Prof. Khalid Othman, said that while the incredible innovation could advance the cause of human progress, it could potentially affect humanity adversely, which causes people to be concerned.

He alerted Nigeria to the fact and fear that those manipulating a gene from one organism to another can also introduce a harmful gene for ulterior motives, adding that nothing stops an insane from using the novel technology as biological warfare to wipe out certain people.

Othman said: “The world must protect itself from this murderous insanity, not by shying away from using the technology, but by adopting a foolproof strategy for the safe utilisation of the technology. In line with this thinking, a biosafety international agreement called “Cartagena Protocol” was signed by 173 United Nations member countries to address the safe transfer, handling, and use of GMOs and their products.

“Thus, all GMO products in countries with a biosafety law go through a series of stringent food toxicity and environmental safety tests that include assessment of homology to known allergens and toxins of the target genes, protein digestibility, acute oral gavage study toxicity (in mice), compositional analysis for unintended effects on carbohydrate, protein, and minerals, gene flow studies, and impact on non-target insects, among others, before they can be used commercially for food or feed.

“Safety was the main reason for adopting the Cartagena Protocol. Nigeria, along with other countries that signed the protocol, was told to domesticate it for the sound protection of its citizens. The government has an absolute and unflinching responsibility to protect people against food poisoning, contamination, and adulteration.”

The lingering complaints and concerns forced the House of Representatives to call on the Federal Government to suspend the introduction of new genetically modified crops until an investigation by its Committee on Agricultural Production and Services is completed and the findings are made public.

The call for suspension followed the adoption of a motion on the need to investigate the introduction of GMO crops in the country. The House mandated the committee to conduct a comprehensive investigation into GMO introduction by the NBMA. It also mandated the committee to assess the potential health and environmental risks associated with GM crops.

On her part, a Director at the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), Prof. Qrisstuberg Amua, said: “The dangers in GMO foods go beyond genetic engineering. It is a way of pumping toxic chemicals into the environment and ultimately on the breakfast tables. There is an emerging situation short of criminality that is pervading the public space with GMO crops.

“It appears that some persons outside the country have some business interests to push out these GMO products for wealth accumulation. As a centre, we have begun a journey to aggregate the relevant voices in the sector on the dangers of GMO foods.”

While stressing the need for the government to do great service to farmers, a former Commissioner of Women Affairs in Anambra State, said “it’s time we look at our farmers as our greatest asset as a nation. Without the farmers, there will be no food or industry.

“In 2008, during former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua era, I was a member of the Committee on Agriculture and Food Security, where a vision 2020 plan was developed to make Nigeria great through agriculture. The lack of continuity in government is an impediment to that plan, which has now degraded badly into accepting dangerous genetically modified options from the outside our borders.” She encouraged the public to watch what they eat, warning that “If you don’t eat food as medicine, you would eat medicine as food.”

Though experts have linked the consumption of the GM crops to several dire side effects, which include antibiotic resistance, allergy, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, gastrointestinal tract diseases, infertility, celiac disease and kidney disease, among others, the government and other pro-GMO advocates claim the assumptions are wrong.

During a recent media engagement in Lagos, the Director, Agricultural Biotechnology Department, National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Rose Gidado, told The Guardian that no ill-health or safety concerns have been traced to the previous commercialised biotech crops in the market.

“Considering the uncertainties of the number of GM crops in the market, it is very important to give this update on the status of GM crops in the country with precise traits and approval status. Biotechnology offers new tools for increasing agricultural productivity and protecting food crops from climate changes, such as heat, floods and drought.”

Also, the NBMA boss, Asagbra, who claimed that the safety and health of Nigerians is of topmost priority to her agency and will not be compromised, said the agency was committed to ensuring transparency, safety, and unbiased decision-making regarding the GMOs.

“NBMA states here that the safety and health of Nigerians is of topmost priority, we will not compromise on this. The agency has done a proper risk assessment and analyses were conducted to ensure the safety of this product for human health and the environment,” she argued.

Asagbra particularly noted that the application for TELA maize was thoroughly examined by two committees comprising of experts and scientists from the various relevant agencies and the academia – NAFDAC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Nigerian Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), National Agricultural Seed Council (NASCs), universities and research institutions – with renowned professionals in the particular field, noting that the agency’s internal review process confirmed that TELA maize meets safety standards.

“This ensures that the regulatory oversight of GMOs by NBMA meets strict safety standards and poses no adverse risks to health or the environment. NBMA acknowledges that there have been misleading claims about TELA Maize, including allegations that it is fake and laced with insecticides/pesticides.

“These claims are not based on scientific evidence and are designed to create unnecessary fear and panic in the country. The TELA maize was developed by Nigerian scientists in the IAR who took into cognisance the challenge farmers have faced over the years in the planting of maize. This maize variety rather reduces the use of pesticides while boosting productivity thereby having better health benefits.

“We assure Nigerians that this maize variety has been certified to be as safe as its organic or conventional counterpart as there is no chemical or insecticides laced in them as claimed by some groups in Nigeria,” she claimed.

According to her, the agency operates independently and without bias, with their decisions guided by scientific evidence, international best practices, and the wellbeing of Nigerians in mind. “TELA Maize was modified for insect resistance and drought tolerance and our risk assessment considered exposure to the environment, nutritional composition, and potential impacts on biological diversity.”

She called for open dialogue, scientific literacy, and evidence-based discussions, saying “Let us work together to ensure food security, sustainable agriculture, and informed decision-making in Nigeria.”