Nationwide Campaign Rises Against GMO Foods In Nigeria
In a widespread show of resistance, civil society organizations and concerned Nigerians took to the streets across the country on Friday, December 13, 2024, to protest the adoption and consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The coordinated sensitization rallies, organized by the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance and supported by over 1,000 groups and individuals, led by the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) called for a complete ban on GMOs in Nigeria, citing potential health risks, environmental concerns, and threats to food sovereignty.
Key rallies were held in cities such as Lagos, Abuja, Benin, Calabar, and Katsina, among others.
In Abuja, protesters marched from the popular Unity Fountain arena to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and thereafter, a delegation headed to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), where senior officials of both agencies received their petitions and promised to escalate their agitations to agency heads.
At the meetings with the agency officials, and also speaking with journalists at the Abuja rally, Barrister Marian Bassey-Orovwuje who represented the GMO-Free Nigeria Alliance, said the rally aimed to educate the public about the risks of GMOs, including potential long-term health hazards and threats to biodiversity. She stated that the need for sustainable solutions to Nigeria’s food security challenges cannot be over emphasised. She then called for greater transparency, robust regulatory oversight, and policies that prioritize the well-being of Nigerians over corporate interests.
Comrade Shehu Akowe of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) echoed these sentiments, highlighting the dangers of GMOs to human health and the environment, calling on Nigerian authorities to reject GMOs as a quick fix to agricultural challenges, advocating instead for agroecological practices that empower smallholder farmers and prioritize public health.
The coalition outlined several demands, including:
1. A complete ban on GMOs for planting, food production, and processing in Nigeria.
2. Nullification of all GMO permits granted without comprehensive and transparent risk assessments.
3. Prohibition of imported processed foods containing bioengineered ingredients.
4. Increased grants and resources for smallholder farmers, investment in agroecology, and improved rural infrastructure to support sustainable farming practices.
Placards at the rallies carried strong messages, including: “No to GMOs,” “Our Food, Our Life”, “Support Agroecology”, “We Nigerians reject GMOs”, “Support Small Scale Farmers”, “GMOs are poison,” and “Food, not Poison.”
