Wedoany.com Report on Mar 9th, The promotion of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Nigeria continues to raise public concerns, with consumers, researchers, and food sovereignty advocates expressing declining trust in the country's regulatory body, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA). The NBMA is accused of adopting a defensive stance and failing to adequately address key safety issues, including the lack of long-term risk assessments.

As of March 6, 2026, the NBMA website has not published the results of long-term independent risk assessments for the four officially approved GMO products for commercial cultivation and over a dozen products for food processing. This has led to questions about whether the country is using its population as test subjects for GMO experimentation.

Economically, Bt cotton growers report that after three years of cultivation, it has not outperformed traditional varieties, with signs of soil degradation emerging, potentially linked to toxin release. Furthermore, issues regarding market control and intellectual property rights over GMO seeds remain unresolved, with the risk of genetic contamination threatening local varieties. In 2024, Mexico imposed a ban on GMO corn to protect its native resources, while Nigeria, as a center of origin for legumes, faces similar challenges.

The lack of clear labeling for GMO products in the Nigerian market makes it difficult for consumers to identify them. According to a survey by the "Mother Earth Health Foundation," over 50 brands of imported processed foods contain GMO ingredients. The public is calling for a halt to new GMO approvals pending a comprehensive review and a shift towards agroecology to address the root causes of food insecurity, such as insufficient budgets and security issues. The controversy over GMO regulation highlights the complexity of balancing technological advancement with public health in Nigeria.