• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

      Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Trade Facilitation: Nigeria Customs, NACCIMA Strengthen Partnership

      Economic Confidential to Host 3rd Public Lecture, Unveil Books on Nigeria’s…

      Luanda Summit: AUDA-NEPAD Taps AI, Green Bonds as it Launches Marketplace…

      Tinubu Jets to Brazil After Japan Summit, Eyes Trade, Security Deals

      Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi (MFR), hosted the Executive Chairman of FIRS, Dr. Zacch Adedeji,

      Customs and the “National Single Window” Project

  • National
    • Colonel (rtd) Muhammad Mana

      Tribute to Colonel Mohammed Mana: An Officer & Gentleman ​By Sani…

      Nigerian Youths

      Youth Group Launches Digital Hub to Counter Violent Extremism

      ASUU

      ASUU Warns of Fresh Strike Over Unfulfilled 2009 Agreement

      NRC Suspends Abuja-Kaduna Train Services After Derailment

      Fellow Bashir Chedi

      NIPR Mourns Council Member Chedi, Hails His Dedication to PR Ideals

    • Government
      • DG VON Jibrin Baba Ndace

        Voice of Nigeria Restores TX2 Shortwave Antenna to Global Service

        ASUU

        ASUU Warns of Fresh Strike Over Unfulfilled 2009 Agreement

        Pantami Foundation Launches Free Phone Repair and AI Training for Nigerian…

        Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa CDS

        African Security: Nigeria Leads from the Front By Edward Gabkwet

        Late Mama Lydia Yilwatda

        Senator Shehu Buba Condoles with APC National Chairman over Mother’s Death

  • Security
    • Colonel (rtd) Muhammad Mana

      Tribute to Colonel Mohammed Mana: An Officer & Gentleman ​By Sani…

      Nigerian Youths

      Youth Group Launches Digital Hub to Counter Violent Extremism

      Anambra Police Bust Robbery Syndicate, Recover Phones, Tricycles

      EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of N246m Shares Ex-Army General

      NAF logo

      NAF Begins DSSC Recruitment for 2025, Reiterates Commitment to Transparency

  • Features
    • Colonel (rtd) Muhammad Mana

      Tribute to Colonel Mohammed Mana: An Officer & Gentleman ​By Sani…

      Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa CDS

      African Security: Nigeria Leads from the Front By Edward Gabkwet

      CG Custom Bashir Adewale Adeniyi and Zacch Adedeji

      Is Zacch Adedeji Building Bridges for Nigeria’s Revenue Future? By Yushau…

      Army soldiers security

      Mattress of Terror: Can Nigeria Ever Be Truly Secure? By Haroon…

      The Arrest of Ansaru Kingpins Mahmud Muhammad Usman aka Abu Bara’a, and Mahmud al-Nigeri aka Mallam Mamuda

      Ribadu and the fall of Ansaru By Senator Iroegbu

  • State
    • Anambra Police Bust Robbery Syndicate, Recover Phones, Tricycles

      EFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of N246m Shares Ex-Army General

      NAF logo

      NAF Begins DSSC Recruitment for 2025, Reiterates Commitment to Transparency

      Police Officer

      Police Foil Bandits Attack in Benue, Arrest Couple, Nurse Over Sale…

      Military Troops in Action

      Troops Foil Multiple Kidnap Attempts, Rescue 14 Abducted Victims in Katsina

  • Event
    • Economic Confidential to Host 3rd Public Lecture, Unveil Books on Nigeria’s…

      President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

      His Death is a National Loss, Tinubu Mourns Emir of Zuru

      Umar Lauya

      Umar Lauya Declares Candidacy for NYCN Presidency, Vows to Unite and…

      The Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Sugar Department Council (NSDC), Mr. Kamar Bakrin (L), with the CEO of Legacy Sugar Company, Alh. Abubakar Isa Musa (R), during the signing ceremony.

      NSDC, New Operators Seal Landmark Development Agreements, to Produce 400,000MT of…

      Regional Vice President Western and Central Africa at the World Bank, Mr Ousmane Diagana pays a courtesy visit to Baze University

      World Bank Vice President visits Baze University, Commends Educational Standards, Assures…

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Features GMOs: Many Issues Around a Technology—By Thecla Ayoka and Abdulsalam Mahmud
  • Features

GMOs: Many Issues Around a Technology—By Thecla Ayoka and Abdulsalam Mahmud

By
Abdulsalam Mahmud, Thecla Ayoka
-
October 17, 2020

GMOs: Many Issues Around a Technology—By Thecla Ayoka and Abdulsalam Mahmud

The idea, concept and rationale behind the birth of genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) foods may be welcoming and visionary to some experts. But not for Nnimmo Bassey.

Bassey, who is not only an architect, and a poet, but also a renowned environmental activist, in an interview, corroborated the fear of many anti-GMO exponents. He said genetically modified (GM) foods pose serious danger to humans, soil organisms and other living creatures.

The acclaimed environmentalist, observed that, “those promoting GMOs are fear mongers screaming that Nigeria cannot feed itself because of ballooning population, whereas the matter of food availability is not addressed by the GMOs they are promoting. In fact, the arguments used in promoting GMOs have always been the same over the years since 1996, when the first GMO was released.”

*GMOs in Nigeria, other countries*

Like in some other nations, Nigeria is where GM foods are also found in the market, though most of them are not actually produced in the country. GMOs are organisms, plants, animals and micro-organisms that have their DNAs altered using genetic engineering techniques.

This, for example, can enable the particular crops or plants to develop some resistance against diseases, insects, pests, harsh weather conditions, as well as to enhance nutrition.

*What GM crops’ farmers earn*

According to a new global report, farmers that grew GM crops earned an extra $225 billion between 1996 and 2018. The report said that for each extra $1 invested in GM crop seeds, farmers gained an average $3.75 as income.

In developing nations, the benefits of using GM crops are even greater, where the average return was $4.41 for each extra $1 invested in GM crop seed. Only South Africa, Swaziland and Sudan are currently growing GM crops commercially in Africa.

Nigeria, having approved GM cotton and cowpea, is now distributing the improved seeds to its farmers, while Kenya and Ethiopia are in the process of deploying BT cotton. A dozen other African countries have GM crop research projects under way, with some of the experiments ongoing for more than a decade now.

*Not against GMOs, not promoting them–NBMA*

In an interview with this reporter, Dr. Rufus Ebegba, Director General of the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), said while NBMA does not promote GMOs, it is also not against their consumption.

On how NBMA makes sure that GM foods and products are safe for human consumption, Ebegba, explained: “What we do basically is to confirm the various risks assessment data and the analysis that has been carried out by the producers of the GMOs. We also do what is called toxicity test and food safety test, together with the socio-economic analysis of any GMO product. The laboratory we have basically is to confirm whether any food product is genetically-modified, and analyze the quantity of the gene of insert. We also look at it to analyze the genum, which is the totality of the morphological composition of any GMO product.”

According to the NBMA helmsman, when there is an application for the certification of any GM product, their agency constitutes what is called a ‘National Biosafety Committee’ made up of ministries and agencies that have relationship with the subject matter.

“Then, we also constitute another ‘National Biosafety Technical Committee’ made up of three or four persons who are highly knowledgeable in any particular crop we are looking at. These various committees submit their reports to the agency and the agency takes a decision. But before even doing that, we normally do a 21-day public notice advert in three media houses, and then deposit the application dossiers, and other relevant documents in our website for members of the public to look at the documents that have been submitted, so that they can guide the agency if they find anything unusual in the application or product that is about to be released,” he said.

*GMOs safer than conventional foods*

Maintaining that the domestication of GMOs is already taken place in Nigeria, Dr. Rose Maxwell Gidado, revealed that the GM cowpea, which is undergoing field demonstration in some selected states, is responding very well.

Read Also:

  • Tribute to Colonel Mohammed Mana: An Officer & Gentleman ​By Sani Usman Kukasheka
  • Youth Group Launches Digital Hub to Counter Violent Extremism
  • Voice of Nigeria Restores TX2 Shortwave Antenna to Global Service

Gidado, a Deputy Director at the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), argued that GM foods or products are very safe because they have history of safe use in developed countries where the technology is being adopted. She said GM products are highly scrutinized, and even safer than our conventional foods that are not regulated.

Dr. Maxwell Gidado, who is also the Country Coordinator for the Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Africa, said NABDA’s intensive awareness campaign and media sensitization on the benefits of GMOs helped bridge the information gap on GMOs between scientific and non-scientific community in Nigeria.

*Farmers don’t know GM crops exist–FAN*

While the breakthrough the country recorded by producing the GM cowpea is laudable, Dr. Nwosu Godfrey, the Secretary General of the Farmers Association of Nigeria (FAN), said its application by farmers will be another different thing entirely.

“Until it gets down to the grassroots, and become adopted by farmers, it will be difficult to say that the GM technology can play a great role in ensuring food security. Besides, I have not come across farmers who are talking about the GM cowpea for now. They don’t even know anything about it,” he added.

Godfrey, who is also an animal scientist, while pointing out that FAN does not have any objection to the GM cowpea and other modified crops so long as they help to improve farmers’ yields, however emphasized the need for massive enlightenment of rural farmers on improved crops by extension workers.

*’Don’t waste resources on failed technology’*

While maintaining that Nigeria does not need GMOs, Mr. Bassey, who was one of Time Magazine’s ‘Heroes of the Environment’ in 2009, stated: “What we need is a farming system where farmers are adequately supported and assured of good farm gate prices for their harvest. We need well-funded research Institutes, where students learn the best techniques of agroecology, local knowledge and technologies. Our researchers can study GMOs in their laboratories and build knowledge in that direction. Government should not waste its time and resources funding propaganda, which only seeks to promote a failed and risky technology that is a potent driver of species contamination and possibly extinction.”

*Why fear of GMOs persists*

On why there is growing apprehension on approving the use of GMOs imported into the country, Thecla Ayoka, said, among several other factors, there is the fear of depending on industrial countries for food production, as the food market will be controlled by them.

Ayoka, a lecturer at the Department of Science Laboratory Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), added: “To the best of my knowledge, I am yet to see anybody that was negatively affected from eating GMO foods but that does not remove the negative effects of GMOs. The reason may be that those around me consume less of GMO foods.”

*Varsities should brainstorm on GMOs*

According to Dr. Charles Nnadi, consumers of GM foods, generally, are always afraid of some unfounded deleterious effects such as allergic reactions, harmful genetic changes, less nutritious foods and cancer.

Nnadi, Senior lecturer in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, at UNN, noted that some GM foods are produced from DNA containing allergens.

According to him, where non-labeled, these allergens can be consumed unknowingly and may trigger anaphylaxis which is a serious allergic reaction that happens very quickly and in some cases may be lethal.

“Some allergic diseases such as allergic rhinitis, eczema, hives, asthma and food allergy can also be deteriorated by allergens in GM foods. While some claimed effects have not been proven, consuming non-labeled GM foods can worsen underlying terminal disease conditions,” he said.

As the hub of experts, Dr. Nnadi, called on Nigerian universities to organize workshops and conferences regularly to brainstorm on the challenges of GM foods in Nigeria.

His words: “All Nigerian universities should be able to establish a separate Department of Biotechnology and Food Safety, and hire experts in GM foods to man the establishment. This will provide the researchers with facilities and manpower to carry out researches on crops’ genetic modification, to boost food security and nutritional health of GM foods consumers.”

  • *This special report was supported by the African Science Literacy Network (ASLN).*
VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • GMOs
  • Technology
Previous articleSkills, Not Paper Qualification Needed in Digital Age–Pantami
Next articleNigerian Army to Commence Crocodile Smile Exercise Nationwide
Abdulsalam Mahmud, Thecla Ayoka
Abdulsalam Mahmud, Thecla Ayoka
Xing

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Colonel (rtd) Muhammad Mana

Tribute to Colonel Mohammed Mana: An Officer & Gentleman ​By Sani Usman Kukasheka

Military Troops in Action

Dozens of Boko Haram Terrorists Killed as Military Foils Attacks in Borno, Yobe

NRC Suspends Abuja-Kaduna Train Services After Derailment

reunited 128 rescued victims of bandit captivity with their families in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State

NSA Cautions Against Politising Insecurity as 128 Hostages Reunites with Families

Maj-Gen. Adamu Laka. image. Google

Violent Extremism: FG Set to Unveil New Counter Terrorism Strategy

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu at Africa Chiefs of Defence Staff Summit, in Abuja

Tinubu Proposes Permanent Forum for African Defence Chiefs

Group photograph of VP Kashim Shettima, CDS General Musa, Minister Bello Matewale and Africa Chief of Defence Staff.

ECOWAS to Deploy 260,000-Man Counter-Terrorism Force, Pledges $2.5bn Annual Funding

Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa CDS

General Musa Rallies African Defence Chiefs to Build Homegrown Security Solutions

Fake Major License

Army Hands Over Fake Major to Police in Lagos

Gen. Christopher Gwabin Musa CDS

African Security: Nigeria Leads from the Front By Edward Gabkwet

Late Mama Lydia Yilwatda

Senator Shehu Buba Condoles with APC National Chairman over Mother’s Death

Repatriated Wanted Chinese Fugitive

Police Repatriate Wanted Chinese Fugitive

Recent Posts

  • Tribute to Colonel Mohammed Mana: An Officer & Gentleman ​By Sani Usman Kukasheka
  • Youth Group Launches Digital Hub to Counter Violent Extremism
  • Voice of Nigeria Restores TX2 Shortwave Antenna to Global Service
  • ASUU Warns of Fresh Strike Over Unfulfilled 2009 Agreement
  • Anambra Police Bust Robbery Syndicate, Recover Phones, Tricycles
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Tribute to Colonel Mohammed Mana: An Officer & Gentleman ​By Sani Usman KukashekaYouth Group Launches Digital Hub to Counter Violent ExtremismVoice of Nigeria Restores TX2 Shortwave Antenna to Global ServiceASUU Warns of Fresh Strike Over Unfulfilled 2009 AgreementAnambra Police Bust Robbery Syndicate, Recover Phones, TricyclesEFCC Secures Final Forfeiture of N246m Shares Ex-Army GeneralNAF Begins DSSC Recruitment for 2025, Reiterates Commitment to TransparencyPolice Foil Bandits Attack in Benue, Arrest Couple, Nurse Over Sale of Newborn in EnuguTroops Foil Multiple Kidnap Attempts, Rescue 14 Abducted Victims in KatsinaDozens of Boko Haram Terrorists Killed as Military Foils Attacks in Borno, YobeNRC Suspends Abuja-Kaduna Train Services After DerailmentNIPR Mourns Council Member Chedi, Hails His Dedication to PR IdealsNSA Cautions Against Politising Insecurity as 128 Hostages Reunites with FamiliesFG Flags Off Restoration of Voice of Nigeria's 250KW Superpower TransmitterNIPR Council Member, Bashir Chedi, Dies at 65
X whatsapp