Nigerians reject GM crops over safety concerns

A coalition of over 100 civil society actors, farmers, scientists and academics representing 100 million Nigerian consumers, has called on the government to discontinue plans to introduce genetically modified (GM) potatoes and ban related crops altogether.

The demand was contained in a press statement released in Port Harcourt, following the announcement of impending clinical trials on GM potatoes.

Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, condemned the move, stating that any further release of GM crops would be a deliberate effort to destroy Nigeria’s food system, jeopardise consumer health, and degrade the environment.

“The House of Representatives announced a halt on introducing new GMOs in May 2024 and mandated an investigation into GMOs and their approval processes. Four months later, there is no information on the findings or results of this investigation, yet the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) is preparing to release new GM potatoes,” Bassey said.

The activist also criticised GM potatoes as a narrow and short-sighted technological fix that could lead to irreversible contamination of indigenous varieties.

“GM potatoes are banned in Peru and elsewhere and have been continuously spurned in developed countries. It’s puzzling that Nigerian farmers are being pushed to adopt this technology,” he added.

A molecular biologist, Dr Ifeanyi Casmir, echoed Bassey’s concerns, noting that GM potatoes represent a gradual erosion of Nigeria’s crop diversity.

“We’re being misled by half-baked scientists towards adopting a technology whose products are mostly used as biofuels and animal feed in other countries, not for human consumption,” he added.

Food Sovereignty Activist and Deputy Director of Environmental Rights Action, Mariann Bassey-Orovwuje, emphasised regulatory lapses surrounding GM crops.  “There’s no information on the application for field/clinical trials on GM potatoes on the NBMA website. The secrecy and urgency with which GMO applications and approvals are handled are cause for concern,” she added.

Also, Public Health Scientist and Director of Programmes at HOMEF, Joyce Brown, questioned the safety of GM potatoes.

“There’s no information on long-term feeding studies conducted on these GM potato varieties. Short-term clinical trials are insufficient,” she noted.

A farmer and founder of the Network of Women in Agriculture, Lovelyn Ejim, argued that Nigeria does not need genetic modification to address late blight disease.

“Simple organic methods have proven effective, including choosing resistant varieties, crop rotation, mixed cropping, proper crop nutrition and quick removal of blighted plants. Nigerian farmers haven’t asked for GMOs,” she stated.

The Guardian observed that the rejection of GM crops is not new in the country.

In recent months, Nigerians have condemned the government’s deployment of GMOs, citing health and environmental risks, corporate control of the food system, and the fact that Nigeria does not need GMOs to address food insecurity.