By George George Idowu
The Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, has called on all relevant agencies involved in Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria to base their decisions on scientific evidence and avoid biased findings.
During a training session for judiciary officials on GMOs and biosafety in Abuja on Monday, Bassey stressed the importance of not compromising the safety of people, the integrity of ecosystems, or food sovereignty.
He urged agencies to adhere to the precautionary approach, ethical principles, and unbiased scientific evidence.
Bassey highlighted concerns about the regulatory processes for GMOs in Nigeria, pointing out that documents on risk assessment are often not made available for peer review or public scrutiny.
He criticized the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) for claiming the safety of approved GMOs without presenting scientific proof and called for transparency and accountability.
He also addressed issues of regulatory oversight, mentioning that the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has not certified GMOs for human consumption as required by law.
Bassey cited a 2017 incident where the NBMA approved the importation of genetically modified maize without NAFDAC’s knowledge.
Bassey concluded by calling for an overhaul of Nigeria’s regulatory framework on GMOs to prioritize biosafety and protect public interest.
He hoped the workshop would foster understanding, dialogue, and decisions that benefit the common good.