The Mother’s Health Foundation has described the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into Nigeria’s food security plan as a huge mistake as it jeopardizes the potential of any country, especially in Africa, to reach its full potential in food production.
HOMEF Executive Director Dr Nnimmo Bassey, in his opening remarks at a workshop organised for judicial officials on GMOs and biosecurity in Nigeria, said that GMOs reduce the available varieties and become dominant threats to available local varieties.
He said: “Introducing GMOs for food security reasons is a big mistake, because GMOs jeopardize the potential of any country, especially in Africa, to reach its full potential to achieve food security because they reduce biodiversity, limit available varieties and become dominant threats to available local varieties.”
He noted that the introduction of GMOs in Nigeria has raised serious concerns about safety, regulatory oversight and their potential impacts on the country’s biosecurity.
The issue of the dangers of genetically modified foods was a central theme at the training organised by HOMEF in Abuja on Monday, with discussion centred on the role that the judiciary branches of government should play and also on creating awareness for those who interpret the laws of the nation as they are at the edge of the guidance of the government agency that has the responsibility to regulate, such as the biosecurity agency.
Bassey added that “in order to offer alternatives to GMOs, we must first realise that it is food sovereignty that guarantees food security. What that means is that we must rely on our indigenous species, ensure that the food we produce fits our culture; the government must also ensure that there is adequate infrastructure because today a lot of the food that is produced is wasted because there are no storage facilities.
“However, we are aware that the government can make mistakes and that is why we need strict accountability in the law. So when citizens find out that what they said was safe is not really safe, they should be held accountable. So that the government does not continue to use us as guinea pigs.”
In his reaction, one of the participants at the workshop, Barrister Inibehe Effiong said: “I think the training is very necessary. It is aimed at equipping members of the judiciary, both lawyers and lords in the court, with the necessary technical knowledge on GMOs in Nigeria, genetically modified organisms. For many people in our country, it is a novel concept. They are not very familiar with what GMOs mean. And because we are seeing a lot of food products being introduced into the market, there are regulatory issues with regard to that and the manner in which clearances and permits are issued under the law.
“For example, under Part Seven of the National Biosecurity Management Agency Act, there have been questions over time about the way in which these permits are issued. Have these been cases or instances where HOMEF has sought to trigger the court process to test the regulatory framework for issuing the permit?”
He said: “What we have found from these court cases is that there was a need to keep our judges and even our lawyers abreast of the legal framework governing GMOs in Nigeria. So that when such cases come up, they can understand exactly what it is all about and that is why HOMEF thought it appropriate to organise this training and highlight the gravity of the issue because as I said, most Nigerians don’t really know what the issue of GMOs is all about. But lately we have seen conversations on social media, people are becoming more aware of it.”
He urged all Nigerians to reject all GMOs and also engage in various levels of personal and community education, awareness raising and advocacy to demand the withdrawal/repeal of policies and legislation that permit the licensing and, in fact, allow the cultivation, distribution and public consumption of GMOs.
Michael Olugbode
Follow us:
