The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce the labelling of genetically modified (GM) crops in Nigeria to ensure transparency, traceability, and public trust in biotechnology products.

Mr. John Atanda, Director of Food and Drug Service at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this in Abuja during a sensitisation workshop on GMOs for Directorate Officers, organised by the Open Forum for Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB).

According to Atanda, the ministry will work closely with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the National Biotechnology Management Agency (NBMA) to enforce proper labelling of GM products. 

He reiterated that the government is committed to safeguarding public health, noting that every biotechnology product will undergo comprehensive risk assessments, including tests for allergenicity, nutritional value, long-term health impacts, and environmental effects.

Also speaking at the workshop, Dr. Rose Gidado, Country Director of OFAB Nigeria, highlighted that GMOs have been in safe use for over three decades across more than 45 countries. She dismissed lingering fears about their safety, stressing:

“The government cannot give poison to its people. If GMOs truly destroyed crops, Nigeria would have been wiped out by hunger by now.”

Gidado further explained that GM crops are backed by evidence-based scientific research and called for greater investments in research and development. She warned that Nigeria risks worsening dependence on imported food without such investments.

Image Credit: FMINO