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The National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) has
begun moves to introduce Genetically Modified (GMOs) cotton and maize
into the country’s food and farming system.
This came in when most Nigerians and stakeholders in the agricultural stakeholders are relaxed that GMOs would not be imported into the country, because the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril has promised that “Nigeria would not mortgage the safety of its citizens by introducing unproven products into the country.”
NBMA supporting its move through the Director-General, Mr Rufus Ebegba says it will not allow the importation of GMOs that are not good for the country. He added that no citizen or consumer would be forced to consume or plant genetically modified crops.
The focus of AgroNigeria on this issue is, how can NBMA identify the GMOs that are bad for the country? What measures would be in place to avoid the importation of the bad GMOs when the agency had already allowed private bodies to import it? The so called ‘good GMOs’, of what benefit is it to the health of citizens and the Nigerian economy?
The NBMA has stated that it will work in tandem with the Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NAFDAC, and the Ministry of Justice to ensure that GMOs are safe for use. How achievable is this with porous implementations of policies and regulations in Nigeria?
Speaking, a lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Mrs Oruoma Odum, said that the importation of GMOs should be rejected by Nigerians as most Western countries cannot even use it in their countries, adding that why should Nigeria accept what others cannot use in their country.
In his reaction to the health implications of GMOs to humans, a medical doctor, Dr. Adeolu Olusodo said GMOs have been found to cause organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, accelerated ageing, and infertility in animals, definitely, it will be the same in humans. He added that organic food is the best and nutritious.
The abundant natural land that this nation has should be maximized, there should be improvement on the subsistence ways of farming, thus, a total rejection of GMOs.
This came in when most Nigerians and stakeholders in the agricultural stakeholders are relaxed that GMOs would not be imported into the country, because the Minister of State for Environment, Ibrahim Jibril has promised that “Nigeria would not mortgage the safety of its citizens by introducing unproven products into the country.”
NBMA supporting its move through the Director-General, Mr Rufus Ebegba says it will not allow the importation of GMOs that are not good for the country. He added that no citizen or consumer would be forced to consume or plant genetically modified crops.
The focus of AgroNigeria on this issue is, how can NBMA identify the GMOs that are bad for the country? What measures would be in place to avoid the importation of the bad GMOs when the agency had already allowed private bodies to import it? The so called ‘good GMOs’, of what benefit is it to the health of citizens and the Nigerian economy?
The NBMA has stated that it will work in tandem with the Nigerian Customs Service, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NAFDAC, and the Ministry of Justice to ensure that GMOs are safe for use. How achievable is this with porous implementations of policies and regulations in Nigeria?
Speaking, a lecturer at the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Mrs Oruoma Odum, said that the importation of GMOs should be rejected by Nigerians as most Western countries cannot even use it in their countries, adding that why should Nigeria accept what others cannot use in their country.
In his reaction to the health implications of GMOs to humans, a medical doctor, Dr. Adeolu Olusodo said GMOs have been found to cause organ damage, gastrointestinal and immune system disorders, accelerated ageing, and infertility in animals, definitely, it will be the same in humans. He added that organic food is the best and nutritious.
The abundant natural land that this nation has should be maximized, there should be improvement on the subsistence ways of farming, thus, a total rejection of GMOs.
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