By Onche Odeh
It was a case of no-show for Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) that have been loud in opposition to the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisations (GMOs) in Nigeria, as strings of stakeholders including government representatives, scientists, researchers, farmers groups, regulators and others, on Tuesday gathered in the expansive Ladi Kwali Hall of the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja to compare notes on biotechnology and biosafety in the country.
Although, their absence represented a missed opportunity for the opposition to state their case against the adoption of GMOs, those present made the best of the conversation to put light on some of the issues surrounding biotechnology in Nigeria.
The climax of the high-power stakeholders’ forum was the endorsement of biotechnology and its products, including GMOs by the government of Nigeria through the ministers representing key sectors and other groups present.
The country’s junior Minister of Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa raised the curtain of endorsements in his remarks delivered on the day, when he said, “Biotechnology holds immense promise for the advancement of healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and various other sectors. It has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach challenges, and it is imperative that we harness this potential in a responsible and safe manner.”
In an outright endorsement of GMOs and affirmation of its safety, Alausa said, “It is important to shed some light to clear some of the unfounded anecdotes that have put the products of Genetic Modification known as Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in bad light.”
Giving further insight, the Minister the common narratives that GMOs are not safe, and that they cause cancers and other unsavoury health outcomes in individuals are unfounded lies by anti-GMOs groups who, it has been found, are running the shows for some ‘big clients.
“It must be pointed out clearly that, GMO foods are carefully studied before they are sold to the public to ensure they are. There are loads of scientific evidence that GMOs are as safe as the foods we currently eat and that they do not affect you differently than non-GMO foods,” Alausa said.
He disclosed that, since the introduction of GMO crops over three decades ago, there have been more than 2,000 studies to evaluate the health and related aspects of genetically engineered products, adding that majority of the findings by these studies have found nothing to indicate that GM foods possess a health threat.
He further stressed that over 275 independent science organizations from around the world have carried out independent assessments on GMOs and concluded that they pose no unique health concerns.
Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji also added his voice to the gale of endorsements on the day.
While acknowledging the pivotal role that innovation, science and technology could play in driving progress and addressing the complex challenges facing Nigeria, Nnaji stressed that GMOs represent a remarkable advancement in agricultural biotechnology, adding that it offers the potential to enhance crop yields, improve nutritional content, and mitigate the impacts of climate change on food security.
According to the minister, the opposition to GMOs introduction were expected, citing the case of vaccines, aeroplanes and even fertilizers as some innovative products that faced serious criticisms at the time they were introduced.
He, however, expressed gladness that Nigerian farmers across the country are already celebrating the introduction of GM Cotton and GM Cowpea, two products he said are fast becoming game changers and giving hope for the revival of the country’s moribund textile industries and bridging the nation’s cowpea annual deficit.
Continuing, the minister said the commercialization of the TELA MAIZE added another cap to the benefits of the already commercialized crops.
On why he has thrown his weight fully behind GMOs, Nnaji said, “I remember visiting the on-farm trial put up by IAR Zaria at the premises of NBRDA shortly before the commercialization and I was excited at what I saw, a clear difference between the modified and the non-modified. So, I couldn’t hold myself when approval for commercialization was given by the National Varietal Release Committee but to announce the release.”
The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Adekunle Salako who also gave an overwhelming endorsement to GMOs by affirming its safety, said available evidence and deliberate fact finding steps taken by the Ministry of Environment has shown that they do not pose any form of threat to the environment and its components.
Similar endorsement were received by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) through their President, Kabiru Ibrahim who said, “GMOs and biotechnology offer Nigeria the fastest way out of the current food crisis it is facing,” adding also that the farmers are intrigued by the performance of the products being introduced so far and cannot wait to have access to them.
