Health professionals and other stakeholders in Nigeria have voiced alarm about the rollout and consumption of genetically modified organism (GMO) foods, arguing that such products could worsen public health outcomes and undermine biodiversity in Africa’s most populous nation. The warnings were delivered on Tuesday during a one-day media programme on biosafety and agroecology in Nigeria, attended by journalists including DAILY POST. Participants framed the issue as a question not only of regulation, but also of long-term food security and the structure of who controls staple crops.
Key takeaways
- Health and civil society voices warned that GMO foods could pose risks to public health, including claims tied to cancer and other serious illnesses.
- The media training highlighted biosafety rules and the alleged downsides of GMO crops for biodiversity and food security.
- In March 2026, four transgenic cotton varieties were approved and registered by Nigeria’s crop-variety naming and release committee without the clearance of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA).
- Speakers argued that major staples—such as cassava, maize, beans, and cowpea—could be shifted toward proprietary control if GMO adoption expands.
- Participants urged the government to strengthen support for biodiversity, agroecology, and indigenous seed systems while urgently revisiting its GMO policy.
Training spotlights biosafety, food security and the GMO debate
The one-day event focused on Nigeria’s food outlook, the framework governing biosafety, and what organisers described as the perceived negative effects of GMO crops. The discussion also reflected intensifying domestic controversy over whether GMOs should be deployed in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
The backdrop includes a significant regulatory dispute. In March 2026, the National Committee on Naming, Registration, and Release of Crop Varieties, Livestock Breeds, and Fisheries approved and registered four new transgenic cotton varieties. The approval, however, was described as lacking the required clearance from the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), according to the account discussed during the session.
That development has unfolded alongside broader political scrutiny. The House of Representatives has held an investigative hearing into the introduction of GMOs into the country’s farming system, underscoring that the issue remains contested across Nigeria’s policy landscape.
The training further addressed how the adoption of GMO crops continues to spark mixed reactions from scientists, policymakers, farmers, and civil society organisations. While some participants see potential agricultural benefits, the speakers at the event emphasised risks—especially relating to health, environmental stability, and the resilience of local farming systems.
Health experts and NGOs raise concerns about herbicide use and biodiversity
Dr. Ifeanyi Casmir, speaking as a health expert, urged Nigerians to be cautious about embracing GMO foods. He warned that Nigeria’s major staples could become subject to proprietary interests, shifting control away from local producers.
Casimir said the key worry centres on efforts to alter crops that Nigeria grows at scale—specifically cassava, maize, beans, and cowpea—and to make them proprietary. He also argued that smallholder farmers are the primary producers feeding wider markets, echoing what he described as shared positions among global agricultural and development agencies.
He further linked GMO crop expansion to herbicide and pesticide reliance. Casmir said that more than 80% of GMO crops in Nigeria and other parts of Africa and the world depend on the use of herbicides and pesticides. He then raised an alarm about the cancer risk associated with pesticides, stating that 7 out of every 13 herbicides used in Nigeria—including an herbicide that has been banned—have been known to cause cancer and are considered highly hazardous pesticides.
Programme Director at the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Nnimmo Bassey, added that biodiversity loss and food security concerns are central drivers of opposition to GMO crops. He warned that GMOs could contaminate Nigeria’s genetic resources and lead to biodiversity decline, which he said would then undermine food security.
Bassey also referenced claims from the Cotton Farmers Association of Nigeria, stating that the group has argued GMO varieties do not offer a substantial or meaningful advantage over conventional crops. At the same time, he said farmers reported soil degradation after planting GMO crops, suggesting that soils may no longer support local varieties—an outcome he said stakeholders do not want to become mainstream in Nigeria.
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) executive director Akinbode Oluwafemi urged the federal government to proceed with caution in adopting GMOs. He pointed to international concerns about health implications and said many countries have applied precautionary approaches toward GMOs.
Oluwafemi argued that Nigeria should not reopen its food system to what he described as unproven science, adding that he believed large corporations operating outside Nigeria’s interests are attempting to take control of the country’s food environment.
Rising cancer burden and calls for policy review
The discussions also included reference to cancer trends in Nigeria. Speakers cited available data indicating that cancer cases continue to rise, with about 128,000 new cases reported annually.
At the conclusion of the session, stakeholders collectively called on the Nigerian government to urgently review its GMO policy. They also urged stronger support for biodiversity, agroecology, and indigenous seed systems, presenting these as more reliable alternatives to GMO-based approaches.
