…Says, it’s a welcome step toward food sovereignty and biosafety
The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), has applauded the Federal Government for endorsing the revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).
In June 2025, Nigeria officially approved its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, NBSAP, 2025-2030, aimed at stopping and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
A statement by the Nigerian government, said the NBSAP fully aligns with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF), with a focus on halting and reversing biodiversity loss by 2030.
The revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, NBSAP, has been adopted as a comprehensive government policy with 23 national targets, each aligned with the corresponding global biodiversity targets and goals.
https://von.gov.ng/nigeria-validates-national-biodiversity-strategy-action-plan/
Commenting on the development, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, Executive Director of HOMEF, noted that it is a vital step towards protecting Nigeria’s biodiversity and advancing environmental justice.
According to Bassey; “We are especially encouraged by NBSAP’s firm stance on the regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), which aligns with our long-standing advocacy for biosafety and food sovereignty.
“In a time when the indiscriminate adoption of genetically engineered crops is increasingly being pushed by multinational interests, NBSAP rightly cautions that unregulated GMO use could be catastrophic to our
environment, health, and sustainable development,” he noted.
Similarly, Joyce Brown, Director of Programmes and Lead on Hunger Politics of HOMEF, said the strategy’s support for traditional plant breeding, non-transgenic biotechnologies, and the fair sharing of benefits from biological resources reflects a welcome policy shift.
She said it affirmed the rights of smallholder farmers and communities to control their seeds and food system, thereby putting the power back in the hands of people.
A statement by Kome Odhomor, Media/Communication Lead of HOMEF, urged the government to back the endorsement with action by halting GMO approvals pending a biosafety audit.
HOMEF also called for the review of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act 2015 as amended in 2019, in line with the National Biosafety Framework by investing in agroecology, and supporting community seed systems.
HOMEF said it remain committed to ensuring Nigeria’s biodiversity thrives, free from genetic pollution and corporate control.
