By Faridat Salifu
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has warned that Nigeria’s agricultural system is increasingly shaped by industrial farming models and external technological influence including GMO foods.
This was disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja at a one-day media training on biosafety and agroecology with the theme: “Nigeria’s Food Future”, and hosted by HOMEF and its partner organisations.
a capacity-building programme aimed at deepening journalists’ understanding of biotechnology, food systems governance and environmental sustainability.
In his opening remarks, HOMEF Executive Director. Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, who was represented by Joyce Brown, said the country stands at a “crossroad” in its agricultural development.
He noted that while over 80 percent of food consumed in many African countries is produced by smallholder farmers, policies continue to favour proprietary seeds and industrial inputs.
He said the trend reflects what HOMEF described as “food colonialism,” where historical systems of economic and agricultural control have evolved into modern structures that influence seed systems, farming practices and national food policy direction.
Mr. Bassey argued that such developments are weakening indigenous seed systems, reducing farmer autonomy and increasing dependence on imported and corporate-controlled agricultural inputs.
The organisation also raised concerns over Nigeria’s GMO regulatory process, referencing approvals and commercial release of crops such as Bt cowpea and TELA maize, which have triggered public debate on safety, transparency and long-term implications.
HOMEF further cited reports that the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries registered four transgenic cotton varieties in March 2026, allegedly without clearance from the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) as required under the NBMA Act 2015 (as amended).
It warned that such developments raise serious concerns about regulatory coordination, compliance and the integrity of Nigeria’s biosafety governance system, particularly regarding access to risk assessment data and transparency in approval processes.
The organisation also noted that repeated requests by stakeholders for GMO risk assessment documents have not been adequately addressed, leaving significant gaps in public accountability and scientific scrutiny.
Speaking further, HOMEF Director of Programmes Joyce Brown said Nigeria must urgently prioritise food sovereignty and agroecology as viable pathways to strengthen biodiversity, protect local food systems and empower farmers.
She defined food sovereignty as the right of people to determine their own food systems, including what they produce, consume and how food is produced.
According to her, agroecology promotes locally adapted farming systems that enhance resilience, reduce environmental harm and preserve indigenous agricultural knowledge.
Brown said Nigeria appears to be at a crossroads, with agroecology gaining attention in policy discussions while GMOs continue to be promoted by other actors, warning that the country cannot continue to “straddle both pathways” without a clear policy direction.
She stressed that continued indecision could deepen policy confusion and undermine long-term agricultural sustainability, adding that HOMEF’s advocacy is driven by concerns over human health, environmental safety and economic resilience, especially for smallholder farmers.
Presenting a technical paper titled Understanding GMOs and Biosafety: Key Concepts and Issues, molecular microbiologist Dr. Casmir Ifeanyi said biosafety is central to responsible biotechnology use, particularly as genetic engineering becomes increasingly integrated into agriculture and medicine.
He defined genetically modified organisms as plants, animals or microorganisms whose genetic material has been altered in ways that do not occur naturally, noting that many GMOs are engineered to express traits such as pest resistance and herbicide tolerance.
Dr. Ifeanyi explained that biosafety refers to policies, measures and procedures designed to protect humans, animals and the environment from unintended exposure to biological agents, including GMOs, recombinant DNA and other modern biotechnology products.
He said Nigeria’s biosafety framework under the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) Act provides a regulatory structure for GMO oversight, but noted persistent concerns around enforcement gaps, limited post-market monitoring and reliance on applicant-generated safety data.
He also highlighted weaknesses in independent risk assessment, particularly regarding long-term ecological and health impacts, arguing that biosafety decisions must be grounded in rigorous scientific evaluation.
According to him, risk assessment should include molecular characterisation, toxicological studies, allergenicity testing and environmental impact analysis, supported by continuous monitoring to detect unintended effects.
He warned that potential risks include impacts on biodiversity, non-target organisms and socioeconomic consequences for smallholder farmers driven by dependence on proprietary agricultural technologies.
Dr. Ifeanyi also renewed calls for mandatory GMO labelling, stating that consumers have the right to make informed dietary, ethical and cultural decisions about the food they consume.
He further noted that emerging technologies such as CRISPR-based genome editing, recombinant DNA techniques and gene drives will require adaptive, evidence-based regulatory systems capable of responding to rapid scientific advances.
While acknowledging the potential benefits of biotechnology for food security and medicine, he stressed that innovation must be balanced with ethical responsibility, environmental protection and public health safeguards.
In a separate presentation, Executive Director of the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Akinbode Oluwafemi, urged journalists to adopt stronger investigative approaches in reporting food systems to improve accountability and expose hidden risks.
He said many industries respond to public concerns using a strategy of “deny, delay and dilute,” making independent journalism essential for uncovering facts and protecting public interest.
Oluwafemi encouraged reporters to produce evidence-based, human-centred and multisourced stories that avoid excessive jargon while maintaining clarity and accuracy.
He referenced Section 22 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which empowers the media to uphold government accountability to the people.
According to him, investigative journalism plays a key role in scrutinising food companies, regulatory agencies and policymakers whose decisions directly affect food safety, agriculture and environmental sustainability.
He also emphasized that food system reporting must be evidence-driven, accessible and focused on real-life impacts, urging journalists to humanise stories while maintaining objectivity.
Presenting a paper on agroecology narratives, Ikenna Ofoegbu emphasized the importance of storytelling in shaping public understanding of food systems and agricultural transitions. He explained that narratives influence reality by shaping public understanding, policy priorities, investment decisions, consumer behaviour and agricultural systems, noting that people remember stories more than statistics.
He said Nigeria’s food system is currently at a crossroads, facing challenges including acute food insecurity affecting over 35 million people, declining soil fertility, climate shocks, biodiversity loss, rising food imports, increasing food safety concerns and growing use of GMOs and pesticides. These challenges are compounded by sustainability concerns, farmer livelihoods, nutrition and long-term resilience.
Ofoegbu criticised dominant media narratives that prioritise productivity and technology while ignoring long-term soil health, farmer autonomy, environmental costs, climate resilience and food sovereignty.
He also introduced agroecology as a nature-based farming approach that applies ecological principles to agriculture, integrating science and social systems to build sustainable, resilient and equitable food systems that work with nature rather than against it.
The training ended with a joint call from speakers and participants for stronger biosafety governance, improved transparency in GMO approvals and a more active media environment capable of critically engaging Nigeria’s evolving food system.
