Dr. Sylvester Oikeh, TELA Maize Project Manager, African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF). In this interview with NatureNews, he talks about safety of TELA Maize and Why Nigeria joined other countries that adopted GMO maize…………Excerpts
China started the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) crops and some this country and some other countries have banned GM crops. Why did your agency support Nigerian Government to adopt GMOs?
China imports a significant quantity of GM Soybean and corn (maize) for both human and livestock feed. In 2024, China approved 27 GM corn seed varieties and three GM Soybean varieties for cultivatiuon to bolster domestic production and reduce its reliance on imports. Other GM crops approved in China to be grown for commericial purposes, include maize, cotton and papaya.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Government also recognizes the potential for some GM crops to be produced locally so as to bridge the productivity gap and reduce reliance on imports to save the huge foreign exchange on food imports for the country; hence the adoption and introduction of TELA Maize.
There are concerns in some quarters on safety of Genetically Modified Orgnisms (GMOs). What is your reaction to this?
First, it is important to establish the safety of GMOs. GM foods that have passed regulatory scrutiny and approved are considered safe to eat as attested to by various organisations including World Health Organisation (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organisations(FAO), European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), our own Nigeian National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), and various Academies of Sciences around the world.
However, for one reason or another, some countries chose to import GMO foods and not grow them. There are several examples of most countries in Europe. There are many countries that chose to produce for local consumption and export surplus for incomes. Example of such countries is the United States of America(USA), Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, to mention but few. Nigeria has joined such countries.
Quite a number of stakeholders in the Agric sector kicked against GMO crops as they argued that planting it will eventually lead to loss of original and natural seeds planted over the years by farmers.
There is no evidence that the introduction of GM crops will displace existing seed systems. Farmers have always decided what they want to plant. GM crop varieties are just one additional tool in the farmer’s toolbox to address the twin pressing needs of pest pressure and climate variability.
Farmers are free to save their grains and use for subsequent planting as ‘seeds’. But, good farmers know that when they replaint grains as ‘seeds’ the yield is significaantly reduced and so farmers are encourage to always use fresh seeds each season and not saved grains as ‘seeds.’
There are those who expressed deep concern that GMO crops will lead to more and severe hunger because the seed cannot be replanted. What’s your take on that?
As I have saaid earlier, a farmer can make the choice to replant saved GMO grains as ‘seeds’, but the yied will drastically reduced. So, it is possible to save and replant grains as ‘seeds’ but the crop won’t be uniform on the field, and it loses a unique characteristics that science called hybrid vigour. It is a vigour because the genes from the original parents in the saved grains as ‘seeds’ start segregating, thus reducing the potential of the seeds.
Replanting hybrid maize seed instead of buying fresh seed is not a good agricultural practice as it denies the farmer the best possible yield from the crop. Farmers all over the world are encouraged to use fresh seeds every year and we should also encourage Nigerian farmers to do so and benefit more from the maize farming.
As it stands today, it’s obvious majority of farmers and traders in agriculture produce across Nigeria are not aware of what GMO crops really are to make choices of whether or not to plant them. Why is there no enough sensitization for farmers before the adoption of GMO maize?
Research and development for GMO crops in Nigeria has been ongoing for more than 10 years at various research centres and multiple confined field trials and national performance or vaariety certification trials have been undertaken with farmers in differnt states in the country. During these trials informed campaigns were undertaken to educate farmers and the public. For example, for PBR Cowpea, farmers have been sensitized and educated on the benefits and safety of the beans in cowpea producing states in the country.
For TELA Maize, many farmers in major maize growing 14 states in the country participated in the evaluation before it was approved in January 2024 for growing and it was launched on 11 June 2024 in Abuja. The IAR and ABU Zaria and other local government agricultural offices have been undertaking public eduction on the TELA maize since 2019 in various states in the country.
Recently, the House of Representatives ordered for halt to GMO crops in Nigeria pending an investigations by its relevant Committee. The Committee is yet to complete its findings about GMOs. Why the haste in adoption and the launch of TELA Maize?
Approvals for GM crops are given by the Federal Government through its mandated agency, the NBMA and other supporting institutions. These competent and mandated agency closely examined and cleared TELA Maize as being safe for cultivation and consumption by the Nigerian public.
During the launch of TELA maize in Abuja on 11 June, 2024, the Ministry of Health confirmed the safety of the TELA Maize for Nigerian people. So, the public should be rest assured of the health safety of this maize.
Many Nigerians expresses fear over possible health implication of consuming GMO crop particularly they pointed at the fact that we are black people and our body system is not the same with that of the white people. Why do we need to import foreign food what is alien to our body system?
I can assure you that GMO crops undergo rigorous health and safety research under the supervision of NBMA to ascertain the safety of humans, livestock, and the environment. There has not been a single scientifically proven evidence to doubt the health and safety of the world’s most consumed GM crops (Maize, Soybean, Cotton, Brinjals) for food and feed. Nigerian authorities adhere to the most rigorous global standards in approving crops for food and feed.
In some quarters across the country, your agency (AATF) and the Federal Government have been alledged to have a hidden agenda as regards adoption of GMO crops which is why it is being forced on Nigerians. What will you saay about this?
The Federal Government is the principal custodian of the health and safety of the citizens and will not authorize unsafe food or practices for Nigerians. Food security is a primary agenda for all countries worldwide. Nigeria is keen to leverage the benefits of modern agricultural technology to transform the economy and reduce the dependence on huge food imports, which most cases are GM foods.
About our agency, AATF, it work with researchers globally to scout and make available the type of agricultural technologies that would ordinaraily be missed out by countries in sub-Saharan Africa because of issues related to intellectual property that require huge payment for the technology including biotechnology driven crops that have registered outstanding results in other countries. GM Maize is just one such technologies.