SEO Riders:
– CSOs highlight GMO safety contradictions in FG agencies
– Calls for transparent GMO safety studies in Nigeria
– Civil society demands consistent biosafety regulation
A coalition of over 80 civil society groups—including HOMEF, Environmental Rights Action (ERA), and the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance—has raised alarm over contradictory statements from federal agencies about GMO safety. While the Director-General of NAFDAC recently asserted that GMOs are safe when protocols are followed, the same agency had previously declared them unsafe due to insufficient data—revealing a disconcerting shift in stance. The CSOs condemned these inconsistencies and demanded evidence-based, independent long-term studies to support any claims of GMO safety.
They also pointed out that the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA has yet to provide robust risk assessments, undermining public trust. Concerns were raised about GMOs contaminating indigenous seed stocks, fostering dependence on foreign seed companies, and yielding poor results in subsequent plantings. Experts warned that widespread GMO adoption could lead to irreversible soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and compromised food sovereignty.
