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| GMO Maize |
We read the
report of the press conference by the Director General of the National
Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) at which he decried the importation of
genetically modified (GM) maize into Nigeria.
News reports had earlier
announced that a vessel named Diamond Harbour, arrived the ENL terminal of the
seaport at Lagos with 25,750MT of maize worth $3.7m at the current market value
of $144.29/MT. Two days later, another vessel named Zola berthed at the same
terminal with 42,900MT of maize valued at $6.1m.
We are worried
that this incident may just be a fraction of other undetected arrival of
unauthorized foods into Nigeria, including those of the genetically modified
varieties.
“Nigerians
should be alarmed at these incidents because whoever imported these illegal
shipments may have done so due to the preponderant attitude of government that
Nigeria is open to GMOs and that there is nothing to worry about GMOs,” said
Nnimmo Bassey, Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). “This is
an indication that more GMO foods and products may have slipped into the
country undetected”, he added.
Health of
Mother Earth Foundation has been strident in demanding the banning of GMOs in
Nigeria. The organisation believes that Nigerian farmers can meet the food
needs of Nigerians if they are supported with extension services, processing
and storage facilities as well as adequate rural infrastructure.
“What happened
to Nigeria’s pre-shipment procedures?” asked Mariann Bassey Orovwuje, Chair of
Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA). “These GMOs should not have
been authorized to head to Nigerian ports in the first instance.”
It is important
that NBMA unveiled this massive importation of illegal maize. HOMEF urges NBMA
and the Nigerian Customs to ensure that the illegal consignments are impounded
and destroyed. NBMA should equally conduct market audits to ensure that crops,
foods and feeds that have genetically modified traits have not been sneaked
into the country.
Joyce Ebebinwe
Project
officer,
Biosafety and
Hunger Politics, HOMEF
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