More controversy trails GMO adoption in Nigeria’s agro food system

· Nigeria’s soil damaged by GMOs – MOMEF boss · Farmers demand proper labelling of GMO seeds · Weak regulatory safeguards is key – GIFSEP By Gabriel Ewepu As controversy continues in Nigeria’s agriculture sector over Genetically Modified (GM) crops and farm inputs more stakeholders are coming up with divergent narratives and counter-narratives on the challenges and threats posed by the Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) to food security in the country.

Weak regulatory safeguards is key – GIFSEP In his view about GMOs in the Nigeria’s food ecosystem, Founder and Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), Dr Michael Terungwa David, asserted that Nigeria lacks a robust regulatory safeguards and other vital frameworks to control the activities of GMOs penetration in the food systems.

Some of the items on the stakeholders’ objection lists include: Inadequate labeling; lack of a robust regulatory safeguards; inadequate preparation amongst Nigerian agric sector stakeholders, regulators and government for the widespread adoption; the harmful chemical inputs used on GM crop cultivation; and a genetically compromised future for Nigeria’s agro-sector.