CSOs Demand Immediate Ban on GMOs in Nigeria, Cite Health Risks

By Oluwakemi Kindness

A coalition of 92 civil society organisations (CSOs) has called on the Nigerian government to immediately implement a House of Representatives resolution suspending the production, use, and consumption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) pending further investigation.

They made the call during a protest at the National Assembly Complex on Tuesday, where the groups demanded an outright ban on GMOs over concerns about their social, economic, health, and environmental impacts.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, Joyce Brown, Programme Director of Health at the Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said GMOs threaten local food varieties and environmental safety.

She cited studies linking GMO consumption to immune disorders, kidney failure, cancer, and other health risks.

Brown noted that the House of Representatives had, in May 2024, passed a resolution suspending GMOs until further research was conducted into the approval and deployment processes.

She stressed the need for the government to enforce this resolution and make its findings public.

“GMOs pose serious risks to our food system and public health. The government must act swiftly to protect Nigerians,” she said.

Mariann Bassey-Olsson, Executive Director of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria, said Nigeria has the capacity to feed its population organically through agroecological practices.

She warned that GMOs are being promoted for commercial gains, noting that several European countries neither consume GMOs nor feed them to livestock.

Olamide Martins of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation in Africa added that GMOs threaten local livelihoods, food ownership, and national food sovereignty.

He described the promotion of GMOs as driven by a few industry players seeking to dominate the country’s food system.

The coalition urged the government to invest in agroecology, a sustainable system that ensures adequate, healthy food production while protecting the ecosystem and to uphold the House of Representatives’ directive for the safety of Nigerians and the environment.