‘Nigeria approves GMO products without due diligence’

Non-for-profit organisations and civil society activists have warned against the indiscriminate approval into the Nigerian market and agriculture ecosystem of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or Genetically Modified Foods. The Director, Health of Mother and Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, one of the activists against indiscriminate approvals of GMO foods into Nigeria at a press […]

Non-for-profit organisations and civil society activists have warned against the indiscriminate approval into the Nigerian market and agriculture ecosystem of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or Genetically Modified Foods.

The Director, Health of Mother and Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, one of the activists against indiscriminate approvals of GMO foods into Nigeria at a press briefing, accused the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) as lacking in regulatory capability to effectively police the industry.

The “NBMA  has continuously shown that it cannot regulate the country’s biosafety as it welcomes and approves any application sent to it without due consideration of the impact of proposed activities or of the concerns raised by the public.

The composition of the governing board of NBMA is defective as it includes promoters of GMOs. The National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), for example, sits on that board.” he calimed.