HOMEF says biosafety agency promoting GM crops infiltration

Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has said that the National Biosafety Management Act is promoting the infiltration of genetically-modified (GM) crops into the country without following due process.

During a media briefing in Abuja, HOMEF stated that the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) had been approving nearly every application brought to it without due consideration of the impact of proposed activities or concerns raised by the public.

It added that the faulty regulatory apparatus that had allegedly been in league with promoters of modern agricultural biotechnology was not sufficient to protect the people and the environment.

HOMEF director, Nnimmo Bassey, pointed out that a lot of people were unaware of the commercially- and politically-driven organisms rapidly being released into Nigerian market and environment, adding that the right of people to safe food and environment was being breached with crass impunity.

Bassey further disclosed that the old genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) were being joined by more extreme variants known as gene drives, which target a whole population.