HOMEF lauds FG’s NBSAP validation, says it’ll ensure food sovereignty, biosafety

By Obiabin Onukwugha
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) has commended the Federal
Government for endorsing the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and
Action Plan (NBSAP).
HOMEF urged the federal government to back this with action by halting GMO
approvals pending a biosafety audit, reviewing the National Biosafety
Management Agency Act 2015 as amended in 2019, in line with the National Biosafety Framework, investing in agroecology, and supporting community seed systems.
In June 2025, Nigeria officially approved its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, NBSAP, 2025-2030, aiming
to stop and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030.
According to the Nigerian government’s statement, the NBSAP fully aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF), with
a focus on halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
The revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, NBSAP, has been adopted as a comprehensive government policy with 23 national targets, each aligned with the corresponding global biodiversity targets and goals.
Reacting, HOMEF Executive Director, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, described it as a vital step toward protecting Nigeria’s biodiversity and advancing environmental
justice.
“We are especially encouraged by NBSAP’s firm stance on the regulation
of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which aligns with our
long-standing advocacy for biosafety and food sovereignty,” Bassey expressed delight.
He added: “In a time when the indiscriminate adoption of genetically engineered crops is increasingly being pushed by multinational interests, NBSAP rightly cautions that unregulated GMO use could be catastrophic to our
environment, health, and sustainable development.”
Also, Joyce Brown, Director of Programmes and Lead on Hunger Politics, noted that “the Strategy’s support for traditional plant breeding, non-transgenic biotechnologies, and the fair sharing of benefits from biological resources reflects a welcome policy shift.”
She added: “It affirms the rights of smallholder farmers and communities to control their seeds and food system, putting the power back in the hands of people.”
HOMEF expressed commitment to ensuring Nigeria’s biodiversity thrives free from genetic pollution and corporate control.