By Abdullahi Lukman
A coalition of over 80 civil society organisations (CSOs) on Monday, August 11, 2025, raised alarm over conflicting statements by Nigerian government agencies regarding the safety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in the country’s food supply.
In a joint statement signed by Miss Kome Odhomor, Media and Communications Lead at Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), the coalition criticized what it called a troubling inconsistency by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).
The groups said the lack of a unified position undermines public trust and endangers health.
The controversy follows recent remarks by NAFDAC Director-General Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who stated on August 8 that GMOs are not harmful if proper safety protocols are followed.
However, the coalition pointed out that in June 2024, Adeyeye had warned of insufficient data to support the safety of GMO foods, declaring them unsafe for human consumption at the time.
“Where is the independent, long-term research that justifies this sudden change in stance?” the CSOs asked, adding that NBMA also lacks transparent, science-based risk assessments.
They called the shift “irresponsible” and a “disregard for public health.”
Environmental Rights Action (ERA) Deputy Director Mariann Bassey-Olsson warned that GMOs threaten Nigeria’s food sovereignty by potentially contaminating indigenous seed varieties through irreversible gene transfer.
She also highlighted the risk of dependency on foreign seed companies, who hold patents that prevent seed saving and reuse.
Prof. Johnson Ekpere, convener of the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, emphasized the absence of robust feeding studies, citing an Iranian study that linked GM soybean oil to liver and kidney damage in rats.
Other studies, he noted, have connected GMOs to tumours and immune disorders such as asthma and allergies.
HOMEF Director Dr Nnimmo Bassey warned of long-term soil degradation linked to GM crops like Bt cotton.
According to reports from the National Cotton Farmers Association, farmers observed that traditional crops no longer grow after three years of Bt cotton cultivation.
He also blamed herbicide-tolerant GMOs for biodiversity loss and the emergence of “super weeds,” which require stronger and more toxic herbicides.
Dr Ifeanyi Casmir, a medical microbiologist, added that Bt proteins released into the soil harm beneficial microorganisms, reducing soil fertility.
He cited studies showing Bt toxins present in 93% of pregnant women and 80% of foetal cord blood—raising concerns about birth defects and cancer risks.
Joyce Brown, Director of Programmes at HOMEF, questioned NAFDAC’s oversight, noting that over 50 processed food products in Nigerian markets are labelled as GMO-containing.
She cited past failures, including the controversial approval of GM maize by WACOT Ltd, which initially violated import rules before being retroactively permitted by NBMA.
The coalition called on the Senate to enact a ban on GMOs to protect native seeds, public health, and environmental sustainability.
They urged the government to prioritize support for smallholder farmers through credit, land access, infrastructure, and security—rather than promote unregulated biotechnologies.
