…demands proper scrutiny of GMO seeds on Nigerians long term viability.

The pan-Nigerian social welfarists group, Afenifere has urged the federal government of Nigeria to look into the disturbing issues of genetically modified organism seedlings in the country’s agricultural system, pointing the long term effects on the Nigerian consumers.

The body in its media release, signed by the National Publicity Secretary,  Justice Faloye, commends the recent intervention by the lower chamber of National Assembly, following a bill introduced by Hon Muktar Shagaya representing Illorin West/Asa federal constituency in Kwara State, urging that all genetically modified organism introductions be suspended pending the completion of a comprehensive investigation by the House Committee on Agricultural Production and Services,  and the publication of the findings.

Afenifere stated that it is particularly alarmed by issues with conclusive evidence, like the copyrighting seeds and patent of life, pesticides toxicity, and sanctity of our regulatory bodies, therefore calling on both the legislative and executive arms of government to act in Nigeria’s long term interests.

In the solution bound statement,  Afenifere urged the  federal government to critically look into farmers rights and collective rights of self preservation, stating that the government must protect farmers rights and collective long term rights of self preservation. It revealed that all GMO seeds are patented, thereby permanently making farmers dependent on the producers of such seeds.

“There are farmlands now permanently adapted to the GMO seeds, preventing the farmers the free choice of going back to their original organic seeds as witnessed in some Nigerian farmlands. The copyrighting of seeds is a monumental development that threatens the long term sustainability of Nigeria.

“There is a frightening prospect of seed or food colonization by a few international biotech companies, and even if the GMO seeds producers were Nigerians, there is the fundamental ethical issue of ‘patenting life’ and concentrating power of life and death in hands of few businesses, or even agencies, that would be more powerful than the government and subject our popular sovereignty with food blackmail.

Afenifere raised alarm on the cancer-causing effects of  pesticides on crops while calling for comprehensive studies of the health implications of pesticides and to put necessary regulatory structures in place. The body noted that GMOs are generally engineered to be resistant to pesticides or produce pesticides within themselves, adding that the effects of unlikely exposure to large quantities of pesticides are obvious. It explained that the effects of exposure to small quantities of pesticides over long periods is still inconclusive and requiring more time with potential effects that include cancer, damage to the nervous, endocrine and reproductive systems. 

“In 2015, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) identified glyphosate, the world’s most commonly used herbicide, as a probable cancer causing agent. Bayer- Monsanto, the primary manufacturer of glyphosate and genetically modified products resistant to glyphosate, has announced plans to introduce 40 varieties into Nigeria.

“Institutional conflict of interests in GMO monitoring and enforcement: In 2015, the National Biosafety Management Agency Act established the agency to ensure Biosafety and Biosecurity to address concerns of potential adverse effects of GMOs. However questions are being raised whether the Act was right to include National Biotechnology Development Agency, a promoter of GMOs on the board of directors of NBMA, a regulator of GMOs. More worrisome is the alleged undue influence of the major GMO producers, as the agency in record time approved genetically modified maize, soybeans, cowpea, cotton, without fully publicized tests. 

“Global corrupting economic influence on science : WHO’s assessment that  glyphosate was cancer causing prompted a major controversy between health evaluation agencies, and led to unprecedented lobbying by Monsanto. In 2018, Bayer bought over Monsanto and in June 2020, Bayer agreed to pay $9.6 billion to settle tens of thousands of claims, mostly alleging that glyphosate-based Roundup had caused cancer. As of 2023, around 165,000 claims have been made against Bayer, mostly alleging that Roundup had caused cancer. Yet, Bayer and other GMO producers operate in Nigeria and one can only wonder how much influence is being bought for unfretted access as done in most government agencies.

“Civilizationally suicidal: We should not for short term benefits due to shortfalls in agricultural production mortgage our future. Human civilization is defined as when some humans turned from hunter gatherers to sedentary farmers. This generation has to tread carefully to not destroy the foundations of our 80,000 year civilization. Genetics shows that Yorubas and San hunter gatherers diverged around 87,000 years ago as those in Southern Nigeria turned from picking wild yams to planting yams, which became the springboard of our cultures and human civilization. It was from Nigeria that Yam cultivation spread across Africa, and still produces 70% of the world’s yams, organically. So for Nigeria to now be at the forefront of mortgaging our indigenous African way of life is as disgraceful as the slave trade. For us to now give the copyright to plant to any oligopolistic group is simply civilizational suicide.

Afenifere concludes by noting that it is against any business venture that would permanently rob our farmers and consumers their freedom of choice to plant as they wish and peoples rights of self preservation to or not to choose whether to risk GMO foods. 

The body demands that all copyrights be removed from any foreign GMO seed seller in Nigeria, and the labelling of all GMO foods. Second, that if GMO seeds are to be continued, that the federal government has the responsibility of building an incorruptible efficiently equipped framework to protect the country’s long term sustainability,  adding that there must be comprehensive transparent studies that are internationally registered and available to all stakeholders and researchers.