An advocate for Nigeria’s Biosafety Bill, Professor Nwanguma, has called for greater acceptance of genetically modified (GM) crops to boost food production in the country.
Professor Nwanguma, who was part of the campaign for the bill passed in 2015 under President Goodluck Jonathan, said recent developments have renewed debate about GM foods, including the reported success of the BT Cowpea engineered by Professor Mohammad Ishiyaku and the public endorsement of GM crops by NAFDAC’s Director General, Professor Mojisola Adeyeye.
The UNN lecturer argued that conspiracy theories had long thrived in the absence of such endorsements, fuelling myths and scaremongering. “Technological advances always come with risks, but the benefits of biotechnology outweigh them, as history has shown with practices like IVF and organ transplantation,” he said.
The professor stressed that Nigeria’s biosafety law and the National Biosafety Management Agency provide safeguards to regulate modern biotechnology. He added that GM crops could improve yields, resist pests, and tolerate drought, helping farmers adapt to climate change and meet food demands. “Responsible technology is not the enemy, hunger is,” he said, urging Nigeria to embrace GM crops alongside wider support for farmers.
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