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… Call for Total Ban on Genetically Modified Foods
By Our Reporter
A coalition of over 80 civil society organisations have condemned what they described as “the inconsistency from Nigeria’s foremost agency responsible for safeguarding the health of Nigerians on matters of food and drugs with regard to the safety of GMOs.”
The coalition includes civil society organisations, researchers, farmers, women and youth groups, “representing the interest of millions of Nigerians,” among whom are Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action and the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance.
In a release issued on August 9, 2025, the CSOs noted that the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Thursday 8 August 2025, stated that “genetically modified organisms known as GMOs, particularly in food, are not harmful to human health, provided that safety protocols are followed.”
During the same interview on Channels, they said, she argued that “GMOs are genetically modified foods and they are not bad for us. They’re not. They are not bad for us, depending on what type of foods they are and whether these safety considerations have been taken.”
The CSOs however pointed out that the NAFDAC DG, Professor Adeyeye, had last year, in June 2024, expressed concerns over Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
During an interview on Arise News Television, she said that “NAFDAC does not consider GMO foods safe for consumption due to insufficient research and data at the agency’s disposal regarding their safety.”
Adeyeye had stressed that “until we get very convincing data to show the safety for human consumption,” NAFDAC’s position remains that GMOs are not safe. While acknowledging potential uses for non-food crops, she maintained that there’s no evidence from NAFDAC that they are safe for human consumption.
The CSOs, in the release, wondered “Why the DG of NAFDAC changed her mind on the safety of GMOs,” asking”Where is the rigorous, independent and longterm research that NAFDAC or the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has conducted to confirm that GMOs are safe for consumption, or what exactly informs this radical change of opinion?”
According to Professor Johnson Ekpere, an Independent Consultant and Convener of the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, “these agencies are yet to show evidence of a robust, long term and independent study, particularly feeding studies to confirm that GMOs are safe.
“Meanwhile, a recent rat feeding study by Iranian scientists showed substantial liver and kidney damage in rats fed GM soybean oil for 90 days. Similar studies have also shown connection to tumours and immune disorders manifesting as asthma, allergies and more. This sort of inconsistency and falsehood peddled by agencies of government who are saddled with the responsibility to protect our health and environment is unacceptable,” he said.
Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, noted that “the setbacks on GMOs go beyond health complications to long term and possibly irreversible soil/environmental degradation.
He cited the report from the National Cotton Farmers Association of Nigeria where the farmers lamented that after 3 years of planting the pesticidal cotton (Bt cotton), conventional crops are not growing on those soils.
Herbicide tolerant GMOs (which make up about 80% of GMOs worldwide) have lead to the critical destruction of biodiversity as the herbicides the GMOs are designed to withstand do not only kill target pests but also beneficial organisms within the soil ecosystem. These herbicide tolerant GMOs have also led to the development of super weeds, forcing farmers to require even more toxic formulations of herbicides that are not only injurious to the environment but also too human health, he said.
A medical and Molecular microbiologist, Dr. Ifeanyi Casmir, however warned that “Bt Crops for example, the Bt beans that was approved for commercial release in 2019 and 2024 respectively contain proteins that when released into the soil destroy soil microorganisms leading to soil degradation and reduced fertility.”
Dr Casmir also noted that “studies have found Bt toxins in 93% of pregnant women and 80% of fetal cord blood, raising risks of birth defects, cancer and allergies.
“The fact that our regulatory agency -the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) cannot show any evidence of independent and extensive risk assessment conducted shows irresponsibility and lack of concern for public health”, he said.
While, the Deputy Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action, Barr Mariann Bassey-Olsson stressed on the threat to Nigeria’s food sovereignty.
She noted that “GMOs pose a critical risk of genetic contamination of our indigenous seed varieties owing to gene transfer. For this reason, Mexico and a host of other countries have placed a total or partial ban on GMOs. We cannot overlook such a grave threat to our plant genetic resources especially as such contamination is irreversible.”
“GMOs foster dependence on foreign seed companies – since they do not produce well after the first planting and farmers are forced to buy new seeds season after season. Moreso, GMOs are patented – meaning their producers have exclusive rights to the seeds for many years. This prohibits the selling or exchange of seeds which is an agelong practice by our farmers. Barr. Bassey-Olsson said.
Joyce Brown, Director of Programmes at HOMEF queried the recent submission by the DG of NAFDAC, adding that “beyond the MoU signed with @NBMA, what is NAFDAC, doing about the over 50 different brands of processed food products in our markets that are labelled to contain GMOs? Did @NAFDAC and @NBMA certify these products?”
According to the CSOs, “In 2018, HOMEF and other CSOs wrote to NAFDAC to confirm if they were aware of the permit for GM Maize granted to WACOT Ltd in 2017. NAFDAC’s response was that they didn’t know about such an approval. MoUs are useless if they do not translate to actual collaboration and rigorous review of processes that extensively affect the Nigerian populace.
“WACOT Ltd had tried to illegally import the maize but was apprehended by the Nigeria Customs Service . The NBMA publicly said the maize would be repatriated but just a few weeks later, WACOT was granted an approval to import the maize for 3 years. This goes against provisions of the NBMA Act 2015 that states that an applicant shall give the notice of 270 days before any GMOs are imported,” they said.
The statement ended with a call to the Nigerian Senate to effect a ban on GMOs; to protect indigenous seeds varieties; protect human health; protect the integrity of Nigeria’s soils/environment and to support/promote agroecological approaches to food system challenges.
The coalition stressed on the need for the government to address the root causes of food insecurity; to increase support for smallholder farmers through better access to credit, land and other resources, provision of infrastructure and to address the crises that keep many farmers away from their farms.
Our correspondent gathered that the release by the CSOs was endorsed by:
Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation for Africa (CAPPA), and Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre.
Others include, Centre for Food Safety and Agricultural Research (CEFSAR), Centre for African Policy Research and Advisory (CAFPRA), Youth for Environmental Sustainability and Development, BFA Food and Health Limited and Women Environmental Programme.
Nigerians Against GMOs, Nigeria Women Farmers Association (NIWAAFA), We the People, Association of Women Farmers of Nigeria and Women and Youth in Agriculture.
Youth in Agroecology and Restoration Network, Udama Co-operative Farm, Green Alliance Nigeria, Women & Children Life Advancement Initiative and The Young Environmentalist Network (TYEN).
Peace Point Action, Social Action, Committee on Vital Environmental Resources (COVER), Gender and Environmental Risk Reduction Initiative (GERI) and Eco Defenders Network.
Urban-Rural Environmental Defenders (U-RED), Host Communities Network, Youth and Small Holder Farmers(YOSHOFA), Women Environment Programme (WEP) and Lekeh Development Foundation (LEDEF).
Nigeria Coal Network (NCN), Global Prolife Alliance, Neighborhood Environment Watch Foundation, Socio Economic Research and Development Centre and Community Forest Watch.
Niger Delta Development Initiative, Kallop Humanitarian and Environmental Center, Citizens Information and Development Initiative, Relief International Africa and Social Accountability and Environmental Sustainability Initiative.
Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Greenleaf Advocacy and Empowerment Center, Foundation for the Conservation of the Earth, Media Awareness and Justice Initiative and WastePlus Environmental Services.
Visible Charity Global Foundation, Ogoni Youths Development Initiative, Rivers Indigenous NGOs and Civil Society Network, Masses Interest Coalition and Rivers Network of NGOs.
Ofure Centre for Peace and Development, Foundation for Conservation of Nigerian Rivers, Egbema Voice of Freedom, Grass to Amazing Favour Global Foundation and Rivers Community Content Initiative.
Jelu New Breed Foundation, Rivers Civil Society Organisations, BINEC Herbson Development Foundation, Angel Support Foundation (ASF) and Community Development Advocacy Foundation (CODAF).
Egbema Voice of Freedom, BRACED Union (Edo State Chapter), Center for Environment, Human Rights and Development (CEHRD), ANPEZ Center for Environment and Development and Society for Women and Youth Affairs (SWAYA).
Pius Dukor Foundation for Community Development and Advancement, Canaan Peace, Women and Community Development Initiative (CAPWOCODI), Kallop Humanitarian and Environmental Center, Center for Environment, Media and Development Foundation (CEMEDEC) and Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD).
Niger Delta Women International Resource, Environment and Development Center (NDWIRED CENTER), Public Enlightenment Projects (PEP), Greenskill Acquisition Centre Ltd, Centre for Justice, Empowerment and Development and Centre for Rural Emancipation, Economic and Social Development.
Child and Green Foundation, Sunshine Progressive Youth Alliance, Rural Health and Women Development, League of Queens International Empowerment, Alauchi Women Development Initiative, Media Awareness and Justice Initiative (MAJI) and Rights advocacy & development center (RADEC).
