Civil society organisations have intensified calls for a review of genetically modified organism (GMO) approvals in Nigeria, urging the federal government to adopt agroecology as a cornerstone of the country’s food security strategy amid growing concerns over food sovereignty, public health and environmental sustainability.
The call was made during a media training on Biodiversity and Agroecology in Nigeria themed “Nigeria’s Food Future,” organised by the Home of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and its partners, where participants challenged the increasing adoption of genetically modified crops and called for stronger biosafety oversight.
Executive Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, warned against what he described as the growing influence of multinational corporations on Nigeria’s agricultural system, arguing that the country’s food future should remain in the hands of local farmers.
According to him, smallholder farmers account for more than 80 per cent of food production in Nigeria, yet face mounting pressure from proprietary seed systems and corporate-controlled agricultural technologies.
“Smallholder farmers produce more than 80 per cent of the food consumed in Nigeria, yet there are strong vested interests trying to increase dependency on patented seeds and corporate-controlled technology. This is why we describe it as food colonialism,” Bassey said.
He also questioned the effectiveness of Nigeria’s biosafety governance framework, expressing concerns about transparency and accountability in the approval of genetically modified crops.
“The question is, who is really in charge? If another agency can approve GMOs outside the established regulatory process, where are we in terms of biosafety?” he asked.
Bassey maintained that agroecology, which emphasises biodiversity, ecological balance and indigenous farming knowledge, offers a sustainable pathway to food security while protecting local ecosystems and rural livelihoods.
Public health expert, Dr. Ifeanyi Casmir, urged policymakers to broaden the national conversation beyond food availability to include food safety and food sovereignty.
“Food security is just one leg of the tripod. You must also look at food safety and food sovereignty. If, because of one leg of the tripod, you jettison the other two, then there are very germane reasons for us to be circumspect about genetically modified crops in Nigeria,” he said.
Casmir argued that genetic modification can alter the composition of crops and potentially introduce proteins capable of triggering allergic reactions in some consumers.
He also warned that increasing reliance on proprietary seed systems could undermine the role of smallholder farmers and weaken local food systems.
“If you take away control and make access to seeds very difficult and cost-prohibitive, you have destroyed our food system. Smallholder farmers are the people who feed the world, and they must not be pushed aside through proprietary control of staple crops,” he said.
On the environmental and health implications of agricultural chemicals, Casmir expressed concerns about the use of herbicides and pesticides associated with some GMO farming systems, noting that chemical residues could find their way into the food chain.
Executive Director of the Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, Akinbode Oluwafemi, called on the government to apply the precautionary principle in decisions relating to genetically modified crops.
“There have been global concerns about the health implications of genetically modified organisms across the world, and many countries are taking precautionary steps. We do not want the Nigerian government to open our food system to issues of concern,” he said.
Oluwafemi stressed the need to safeguard indigenous seeds and traditional farming systems, arguing that food production is closely linked to culture, identity and national heritage.
“Local farmers are responsible for over 80 per cent of the food we consume in Nigeria. There is an attempt to take over our food chain and food system by corporations outside our shores. It rests on the Nigerian people and government to protect our food environment, our indigenous seeds and our indigenous crops,” he said.
Presenting a communiqué issued at the end of the training, Associate Director of CAPPA, Ogunlade Olamide Martins, said participants resolved to campaign for a comprehensive review of GMO approvals and biosafety regulations in Nigeria.
According to him, stakeholders called for greater transparency, public participation and independent scientific assessments in all biosafety-related decisions.
“Participants resolved to advocate for a comprehensive review of GMO approvals and biosafety governance measures in Nigeria, while promoting transparency, public participation and independent risk assessment in all biosafety decision-making processes,” Martins said.
The communiqué further called on the government to suspend new GMO approvals pending independent, long-term and peer-reviewed assessments covering feeding trials, environmental impacts, performance evaluations and social consequences.
Participants also urged authorities to strengthen legal protections for farmers’ rights to save, exchange and reuse indigenous seeds while increasing public investment in agroecological research, innovation and farmer training programmes.
In her closing remarks, HOMEF Programme Director, Joyce Brown, said Nigeria was at a defining moment in determining how it would address food insecurity and climate change.
“We seem to be at a crossroads in Nigeria and largely in Africa as to which pathway we need to take in responding to food insecurity and climate change challenges. There are efforts towards promoting agroecology, while some actors are strongly pushing GMOs. We are advocating for a concrete decision. We can’t be on the fence and we can’t be both ways,” she said.
The advocacy groups maintained that while food production must increase to meet the needs of a growing population, such efforts should not come at the expense of biodiversity conservation, farmers’ rights and long-term environmental sustainability.
Michael Olugbode
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