The GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, comprising over 200 individuals and organizations, including farmers, civil society groups, scientists, nutritionists, legal practitioners, and medical experts has called on the National Assembly to impose a total ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria.
During a public hearing organized by the House Committee on Agricultural Production, the group raised concerns about the impact of GMOs on the country’s food systems, human health, and the environment as they alleged that external forces promoting GMOs have contributed to insecurity in Nigeria.
Presenting a memorandum to the committee, Mr. Johnson Ekpere, a consultant to the group, urged the government to immediately halt GMO distribution and declare a policy against their use.
Ekpere further criticized the government’s adoption of GMOs as a quick fix for agricultural challenges, warning of serious implications for Nigeria’s food sovereignty, bio-diversity, and public health as he then advocated a shift toward agro-ecology, including organic and regenerative agricultural practices, which are proven sustainable alternatives.
Reacting to this, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, reassured Nigerians that the federal government would not promote anything harmful to its citizens.
