- Says comment on GMOs was misunderstood
By Onche Odeh
Head of Nigeria’s Food and Drug Regulatory agency, Professor Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, has cleared the air on a statement she made regarding the safety of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), saying her remarks were misconstrued.
Adeyeye, Professor Emeritus of Pharmaceutics and Drug Product Evaluation at the College of Pharmacy, Roosevelt University in Schaumburg, Illinois, United States recently caused a frenzy, especially among scientists and the general when she was featured on Arise TV, one of Nigeria’s most watched news TV Channels.
While answering questions on GMOs safety, she had stated that she was not aware of any study that affirmed the safety of GMOs, hence she does not think it is safe. This was at a time the anti-GMOs swarmed the social media with campaigns aimed at forcing the government of Nigeria to reverse the approval for public use of TELA Maize hybrid varieties launched in Nigeria in June.
Her statement emboldened the anti-GMOs campaigners, who went about sharing clips of her interview on various social media platforms to authentic their claims that GMOs were dangerous to humans and the ecosystem. It also attracted criticisms from Nigerian scientists, who thought she misrepresented the facts about GMOs, having acknowledged that she were not aware of researches on the safety.
Her comment also prompted the agricultural research system in Nigeria, led by the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) to host a world press conference, during which all the agencies including the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), the agency in charge of regulation of Biotechnology in Nigeria, the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), National Agricultural Seeds Council of Nigeria (NASC), among other groups affirmed that all GMOs launched in Nigeria under went the necessarily safety evaluations, which also involved NAFDAC.
The NAFDAC DG used the occasion of a joint meeting between NBMA and NAFDAC convened by the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to state that her previous remarks on GM foods were misunderstood, emphasizing NAFDAC’s commitment to safety.
According to a statement jointly signed by the Minister of State, Health, DGs of NBMA and NAFDAC on Monday, the NAFDAC DG reaffirmed the agency’s rigorous safety standards, stating that no GM foods will be approved without thorough scientific safety assessments.
In response to recent public concerns regarding GMOs, the Minister used the occasion of the meeting to stress the importance of consistent communication among government agencies to alleviate public fears.
He also emphasized the need for a collaborative approach to address safety concerns related to GMOs, referencing extensive scientific evidence that support their safety.
The Director General of NBMA, Dr. Agnes Yemisi Asagbra, on her part appreciated the minister for the meeting, highlighting the historical collaboration between NBMA and NAFDAC, including a Memorandum of Understanding established in 2017.
Dr Asagbara stressed that no GM food permits are issued in Nigeria without NAFDAC’s involvement, calling for enhanced cooperative efforts to ensure food safety.
Some Key resolutions were arrived at during the meeting. These include the establishment of a Technical Working Group (TWG) between NBMA and NAFDAC for which a charge has been given for the development of Terms of Reference and setting up a secretariat.
The meeting also called for continuous collaboration among key agencies on risk assessment and labeling of GMOs, just as they also called for enhanced capacity building and training exchanges.
The meeting, which also reiterated the need for collaboration between the two agencies to ensure a unified message on food safety, marks a significant step towards unified governance in food safety and public health in Nigeria.
“By working together, we reaffirm our commitment to science, environmental protection and safeguarding the health of the nation,” the statement quoted the DGs of NBMA and NAFDAC as affirming.
