GMOS ARE GAME CHANGERS IN FOOD SECURITY — STAKEHOLDERS INSIST 

REPORTER: CHINAZO ILECHUKWU

As Nigerians continue to grapple with achieving food security and environmental pollution, a cross-section of people living in Owerri, the Imo State capital, has appealed to the Federal Government and the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency to intensify campaigns on the benefits of the genetic modified organisms (GMOs) technology to maximize the gains recorded so far in the agricultural revolution.

They made the call while speaking with Radio Nigeria on the need for Nigeria to join the league of nations that have fully embraced GMO foods in fighting hunger, tackling environmental problems and rapid economic growth.
 
GMOs were introduced in Nigeria in 2001 by the National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency to deal with food crisis confronting the people.
With the approval of crops like the Bt Cowpea and tela maize for commercial use, farmers and indeed Nigerians who saw the technology as a solution to ending hunger and other agricultural challenges appear to have heaved a sigh of relief.

These crops have proven to increase their yields, have capacity to resist pests and further provide the nutritional needs of the people.

They are also environmentally-friendly and adapt to conditions like drought and other climatic changes that dwindle the fortunes of farmers.

Apart from increase in yield, which will have multiplier effects on both farmers and consumers, the pest resistant nature of the organisms will go a long way in reducing the use of pesticides in cultivation of crops, which experts have identified as pollutants.

GMOs will also save millions of dollars spent on importation of these chemicals and other food products into the country when optimized.

Although there has been claims in some quarters that this food technology poses health risks to humans and threatens the existence of local natural seeds, biotech-based reseachers have continued to dismiss such fears with empirical evidence.

Unarguably, technologically advanced countries, including the United States of America, Canada, South Africa and some countries in Europe cultivate and consume genetic modified foods which testifies to the safety nature of the technology.

A resident of Imo State, who engages in subsistence agriculture, Mrs. Juliet Anyanwu, expressed enthusiasm that GMOs had the answer to achieving food security in Nigeria and called on the government to put an end to the controversies slowing down the full adoption of the technology.

“ I believe GMO has the solution to food crisis in both Nigeria and Africa and government and concerned agencies should popularize GMOs,” she stated.

The National President All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr. Kabiru Ibrahim, while speaking with Radio Nigeria on the GMOs, said with the growing population of Nigeria and Africa in general, it has become imperative to embrace the technology to increase yield at a very low cost.

He explained that his conviction on the safety nature of the organisms informed his efforts in spreading the message to farmers across the country, adding that his members are already cultivating GMO Bt cowpeas and maize. 

“I believe it is a game changer we have been grappling on how to feed our population, the potential of the GM crops is that we will have higher yields and we spend less money on chemicals so I embrace biotechnology that leads to evolution of GM crops.

“I took interest in it when I went to global food security conference at Cornell University in 2016/2017, there both the anti and the pros of GMO came together and everybody was given a lot of room to say what they knew very good scientists were there and the conclusion was that we even had an anti who was converted and became a pro.

“So for me, it was a privilege to know that there was no nexus between GM crops and any disease whatsoever and to that extent I now try to propagate this issue with farmers in Nigeria,” he remarked.

Mr. Ibrahim, however, appealed to the government to invest more in the GMOs, especially in the areas of granting subsidy to farmers and called on Nigerians to dismiss any negative thoughts about the genetic modified foods as all the issues being raised were unfounded.

As part of measures to ensure that Nigerians, especially the youths are adequately sensitized to the need to key into the GMOs, the Director General National Biotechnology Research Development Agency, Professor Abdullahi Mustapha, had in a workshop in Owerri explained that GMOs were healthy to both humans and the environment.

He added that the initiative had led to increase in the production of maize, cowpeas and cotton in Nigeria.
 
“We have people that are highly demanding maize most especially in the poultry farming and you see how egg and chicken are very very expensive.

“So by having higher availability of maize and then the quality of maize that is very strong, the chicken and the egg and all these associated feed that we use corn to produced is going to come down and we are going to have easy access to all those commodities we are telling people that they should embrace the technology that it is very very safe and there is no cause for alarm,” Prof. Mustapha said.

The Director Agricultural Biotechnology Department in the Agency, Dr. Rose Gidado, noted that genetically modified organisms foods are being scrutinized and regulated by relevant agencies.

Dr. Gidado added that the GMOs had been tested for more than 35 years without any health risk associated with it.

She described the misconceptions on the GMOs as normal with such innovations but gave the assurance that the Agency would do more in its enlightenment campaign to disabuse the mind of some Nigerians who were yet to embrace the practice, which she insists had the solution to the nation’s quest for food security.

“We need to intensify on all the efforts that we have been putting in and we need to carry out all those things transparently so that people’s confidence can be reposed, so it actually takes time to accept a new technology but I know with consistent effort I think we can get there. We need to provide accurate and science-based information to dismiss those myths and misconceptions,” she stated.

The Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, who was represented at the programme by the Director General Imo State Investment Promotion Agency, Professor Jude Nzeaka, described biotechnology as a revolution that would boost the economy.

He gave an assurance that his administration would empower youths that had shown interest in biotechnology to improve the living standard of the people.

Having underscored the benefits of GMOs, especially in the areas of food security, economic growth and safe environment, the National Bio-safety Agency should be strengthened to ensure the safety of genetically modified foods.

The agency should sustain the ongoing campaigns to ensure that Nigerians are adequately informed on the advantages inherent in the practice.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU