Agriculture and policy experts have urged the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, to investigate a suspected attack on Nigerians through gene editing, allegedly carried out using Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) foods.
The Country Director of Project Sprint, Israel James, while speaking at a press conference in Abuja, along with some other experts, sounded the alarm that gene editing poses a more significant threat than nuclear weapons.
He stressed that this technology is a potent war tool that demands attention from the National Security Adviser (NSA).
James described food insecurity as a national security threat, linking inflation and the killings of farmers in agricultural hubs such as Plateau, Kaduna, Niger, and other states of Nigeria to “coordinated economic warfare.”
The Country Director called for investigations into gene-edited seeds developed by foreign-owned technology and non-governmental organisations funding GMOs.
He cited Zimbabwe’s struggles with post-GMO adoption, warning that Nigeria could face worse GMO monopolies.
The Country Director warned that Nigeria must rise to drive its food security through relevant policies, noting that agencies like USAID, OFAB, and others should not be allowed to operate unchecked in the country.
“If we don’t secure our food basket regions, foreign actors will control our government through hunger,” he warned.
Also, a Deputy Director at the Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), Dr. Segun Adebayo, advocated for immediate policy reforms to safeguard Nigeria’s food future.
Dr Adebayo noted that Nigeria’s food sovereignty is not just security but remains non-negotiable with any foreign actors.
He likened Nigeria’s reliance on foreign entities to outsourcing household food from a hostile neighbour and criticised policies that favour foreign ownership in agriculture, arguing that they have left Nigeria vulnerable to neo-colonial exploitation.
The CEFSAR Deputy Director warned that GMO seeds, engineered to become sterile after two harvests, create dependency and allow foreign actors undue influence in Nigeria’s food systems, stressing that “it is like inviting a visitor who gradually takes over your home. If foreign corporations control our seeds, they can dictate terms for Nigeria. We must audit our policies and prioritise food sovereignty.”
Dr. Adebayo urged the National Assembly to reject Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and instead allocate more funds to agriculture in the budget.
He said this move aims to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on foreign donors, who could potentially compromise the country’s food security.
He also advocated a ban by the Nigerian government on gene editing and urged the protection of the country’s biodiversity to guarantee food security.
Also, Ambassador Michael Nwabufo, of the Centre for African Policy Research and Advisory (CAPRA), in his presentation, warned against the adoption of GMO seeds, stating that they threaten the DNA and food sovereignty of future generations.
Nwabufo outlined dangers such as unintended mutations, cancer risks, and immune reactions, accusing foreign entities of pushing a harmful agenda.
Nwabufo said, “NGOs are promoting GMOs, but I trust President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to reject this. If our food is controlled by outsiders, they will decide whether we eat or starve. My team will uproot GMO crops and replace them with God-given seeds.”
