HOMEF Holds National Conference On GMOs And Biosafety In Abuja
Concerned about the impact of GMOs on the health of the people and the environment, a Non-Governmental Organisation on the aegis of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), in collaboration with GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, has scheduled to hold a National Conference on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) in Abuja next week Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
The Conference with the theme; “Beyond the Propaganda: Unveiling the Truth About GMOs”, is scheduled to take place at 09:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
Recently, in May 2024, The House of Representatives in May 2024, passed a motion to probe the introduction of GMOs in Nigeria and urged the Federal Government to suspend the introduction of new Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) crops in the country.
In applauding the decision of the House of Representatives, HOMEF said the resolve of the Legislators must be followed up to ensure that the investigation process is unbiased as well as ensured that concerned Agencies have the relevant information to base their recommendations.
Dr Nnimmo Bassey, HOMEF’s Executive Director, noted that there has been an uproar in the country following the most recent approval of TELA Maize genetically modified to be pest resistant and drought tolerant.
According to Bassey; “Major concerns expressed by the public include the secrecy with which these GMOs are deployed, the implication of corporate control of seeds and the Nigerian food system, the contamination of the country’s local genetic resources, environmental degradation, health implications, and more.
“It is of the essence that a multi-stakeholder forum is organized to cohesively address the various concerns with GMOs, review the experience so far, and come up with clear resolutions regarding their deployment and use as well as solutions for food sovereignty in Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking in turn, Joyce Brown, HOMEF’s Director of Programmes, noted that since the setup of the National Biosafety Management Agency Act in 2015, more than 20 different crop varieties have been approved by the Agency for various purposes including commercial release/market placement.
Brown said; “As of 28th June 2024, according to information available on the Biosafety Clearing House(BCH) [where countries that are signatories to the Biological Convention on Biodiversity are required to upload information regarding decisions on GMOs], Nigeria has approved 25 GM products – 11 for field trials; 4 for commercial release; and 10 for food, feed or processing”.
A statement by Kome Odhomor, HOMEF Media and Communication Lead, said the conference is expected to address issues related to regulation of GMOs/approval processes, risk assessment, access to information, health, economic, and environmental implications of GMOs, as well as highlight the way forward for food sovereignty in Nigeria.
