By Faridat Salifu
Agricultural productivity, rather than public perception, dominated discussions at a GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS (GMOS) engagement forum held at the University of Abuja on Friday, as experts and students examined biotechnology through the lens of food production, soil health and yield sustainability.
The session repositioned GMOS as an agricultural tool designed to strengthen farming systems weakened by climate stress, environmental degradation and declining soil fertility.
Participants focused on how biotechnology can stabilise crop output, reduce losses, and improve food availability in Nigeria’s increasingly fragile agricultural landscape.
Students described the workshop as an exposure to the practical farming value of biotechnology rather than a theoretical scientific debate.
Afuye Nathaniel, an MSc. Botany student, said the forum helped clarify how GMO crops function within normal agricultural systems, including storage, seed preservation and crop performance.
He said learning that GMO seeds share the same shelf life and storage characteristics as conventional seeds corrected long-standing misconceptions that biotechnology crops behave differently from traditional varieties.
Duru Loveth, an MSc. Environmental Biology student, said the engagement reshaped her understanding of GMOS as tools for agricultural resilience rather than controversial laboratory products.
She said the evidence presented showed how biotechnology can support farmers facing declining yields, environmental pollution and rising production risks.
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Hakeem Fawehinmi, described agricultural technology as a structural requirement for Nigeria’s food system.
Represented by Prof. Dankishiya Salihu, Dean of the Faculty of Science, he said traditional farming methods alone can no longer meet national food demand due to degraded soils, climate instability and reduced land productivity.
He said modern agricultural technology offers a sustainable pathway for improving yields and ensuring long-term food security.
Earlier, Dr. Jean-Baptiste Tignegre, Regional Representative of the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), said biotechnology remains critical to strengthening African farming systems despite persistent misinformation.
He said fear-based narratives continue to limit farmer access to improved seed varieties and productivity-enhancing technologies.
Tignegre said the session focused on the agricultural life cycle of GMOS, including regulation, safety testing, seed certification and farmer adoption processes within Nigeria’s regulatory framework.
Dr. Liadi Tella of the Faculty of Agriculture said biotechnology offers practical solutions to Nigeria’s challenges of food scarcity, declining crop yields and chemical contamination in farming systems.
